JDC helps Bedouin women "get the party started…" and their careers

At the next wedding to take place in the Bedouin town of Rahat in Israel's Negev region, it is more than likely that the person entertaining the crowds will be a graduate of JDC's DJ course for Bedouin women.

A second cohort of Bedouin women are now training to be DJs through a JDC initiative designed to advance employment opportunities and business entrepreneurship among Bedouin women. The initiative was spurred by high unemployment and poverty rates in the community and seeks to help Bedouin women, many of whom live in small, remote villages and towns and lack formal education, improve their community's economic status by entering the job market.

Given the large number of weddings and family events that take place in the Bedouin community, and the growing trend for separate celebrations for men and women, the demand for women DJs is high. Its sought-after status and corollary financial benefits make the profession a fertile training area for Bedouin women.

For the 12 women who recently qualified as DJs, the course was not only an opportunity to enter the job market, but also to be part of something original and innovative.

Fatma, a 28-year-old mother of three and recent DJ graduate, agrees that the course's novelty was part of the attraction. "I liked the fact that nothing like this had ever been available for Bedouin women. And of course I love music." Fatma initially found out about the course through ads in the local Arabic language press but she was finally persuaded to participate when one of her community's leaders called her up personally to recommend the course.

After spending 60 hours acquiring basic business skills, such as account keeping and dealing with income tax regulations, and another 100 hours learning the tools of the trade, Fatma is now starting to buy her equipment in preparation for setting up her own DJ business. "I'm going to work on my own – that’s the only way I want to do it," she explains. This independent direction is in sharp contrast to her previous work experience – Fatma worked for seven years as an assistant helper in an old age home.

Like many Bedouin women, Fatma left school during 11th grade without matriculating and was married by the age of 19. Her mother had no schooling at all. In contrast, when Fatma thinks to the future, she hopes that her seven-year-old daughter will be able to complete her education and go out to work just like her.

A partnership of JDC, the Beersheva municipality and Beersheva Small Business Development Center, the DJ course is just one of a number of training opportunities where Bedouin women aged 20-35 are offered vocational skills in areas with genuine business prospects. Other courses include photography, hairdressing and herbal healing. In addition to offering women employment opportunities, the initiative is helping to establish a new norm of women as key players in the community's economic life – a bold step from the current situation where over 90% of Bedouin women do not work outside the home.

As Fatma explains, "When the course was first suggested it seemed very out of the ordinary but now that we've begun, there are lots more women who can and want to learn. I'm so grateful for this opportunity".