Racheli Tadessa Malkai emigrated from Ethiopia to Israel in 1991. She was more than familiar with the traditional role played by women in her culture as well as the difficulties faced by people of color in their adopted homeland. She founded Ma’atzimot – Empowering Ethiopian-Israeli Women not only to counter that traditional role but also to address increased sexual harassment and domestic violence plaguing these women.
Racheli’s success can be judged by the more than 18,000 women and girls who have participated in programs run in nearly thirty communities across the country. Those programs promote leadership development, vocational training, entrepreneurship, emotional resilience and pride in their Ethiopian heritage.