Home - Publications

Leaflets

2009
Divorce in Sharia Law (in Arabic)

Sharia courts have sole authority over Muslim divorces in Israel. This leaflet discusses what reasons are accepted in the court to file for divorce. The most commonly used is Tahkim plea, which means arbitration of a conflict within the marriage.  The court will appoint two mediators, one for each side.  Their duties include meeting with each spouse to hear both claims, attempting to reconcile the dispute, and if it is not possible, submitting a recommendation for divorce to the court.  The mediators also provide a recommendation regarding the maher, or dowry, stating if all or part of the money should be returned to the wife after the divorce.

  

The Minimum Wage Law of 1987
The Minimum Wage Law obliges every workplace to ensure that employees are familiar with the law and informed about changes in the amount of the minimum wage. This regulation is rarely respected in the Arab society. At the same time, payment of less than minimum wage is customary and affects especially female employees. Kayan produced a translation of the law into Arabic and this poster, displaying key information about the minimum wage. Kayan sent the posters to randomly chosen Arab employers in the private sector. An accompanying letter explained the employers` obligation to inform about the law, and a suggestion to hang the poster as an easy way to meet this obligation.
 
2008
 
Rights of Victims of Crime Law (2001) 
 
Kayan published one brochure on the "Rights of Victims of Crimes" law of 2001. The brochure explains to Arab women the content of the law and their rights under the law. The victim must be informed about the criminal procedure. He or she may attend court meetings and even closed sessions, and has the right to be heard in court before decisions regarding postponement or delay.
 
The Minimum Wage Law of 1987 (brochure in Arabic)
 
This brochure informes women of the law of the minimum wage of 1987 and also explains ways to counteract violations of the law. It includes a definition of the concept of minimum wage, the social and economic aims of the law, the calculation of the minimum wage, the subjects of the law, and specific regulations for minors and people with disabilities. The brochure names the instruments of monitoring of adherence to the law, giving information about the vast authorities of the Ministry of Trade, Labor and Industry `s Department for Information and Implementation to monitor adherence to the law, to request information and to investigate employers, to determine punishments, to submit criminal charges, etc. .. .. ..
 
 
Most Arab women are not employed and have not issued private insurances. The aim is to make these women aware of the fact that if they remain passive, the only income they will have from age 65+ is the old-age allowance which every citizen begins to receive at age 65. The indirect message of the brochure is that the old-age allowance is not sufficient to support oneself in old age. The brochure informs women about three alternative or complementary financial provisions for old age: old-age allowance (currently 16% of the average income ), pensions (for employed women), and private Insurances (such as life insurances).
 
 
This poster contains the first publication of the text of the "Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment" in Arabic. The "Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment" (1998) defines sexual harassment and regulates the punishment both in civil and criminal court. The law obliges every workplace with more than 25 employees to give itself a constitution against sexual harassment and to ensure that the employees are familiar with it. Under the law, every workplace also has the duty to appoint one person in charge of sexual harassment cases to whom complaints can be addressed.
 
 
This brochure explains to Arab women the content of the law, their rights and duties, and methods of enforcing the law. In Arab society, speaking out against sexual harassment is still an unusual and brave act, in the workplace and beyond. Often, women are not sure whether what they experienced was indeed sexual harassment, or they are unaware of the fact that they were subjected to sexual harassment.
 
 
This brochure is addressed to female Arab workers. It tells women about their basic rights as an employee such as minimum wage, overtime remuneration, and restrictions to working hours. In addition, it covers entitlement to holidays, sick leave and maternity leave, dismissal protection, termination pay, yearly allowances and social security contributions to be paid by the employer. Women are invited to contact Kayan for further legal counseling on workers` rights, or legal representation in labor rights
cases.
 
 
This brochure informs employers about the same rights. Though it is assumed that employers are aware of the rights of their employees, the idea is to signal to employers that Kayan is monitoring adherence to the law and is assisting women with enforcing their legal rights.
 
 
 
This brochure states that domestic work is essential, and despite social changes, it is still done mostly by women. This work is invisible in the public eye, and the economic value that this work produces is not taken into account. Domestic work contributes to the domestic economy, and supports the welfare and quality of life of a family. Yet the important role of women in the domestic economy is not reflected in their social status. The brochure has the form of a timetable. Women are invited to fill up the timetable with the hours they spent with paid and unpaid work. The timetable also leaves a column to be filled up by the womens` partners, so that couples can compare the amount of work they do - and in many cases, realize that distribution is unequal.
 
 
This brochure informs Arab women about the law surrounding two important social security entitlements provided by the National Insurance Institute: security income and alimony. The brochure introduces women to the conditions under which these allowances can be obtained.
 
 
2006-2007
 
 
Condemnation of honor killings among the Arab public and Arab politicians should be equal to condemnation of any other murder. In order to defeat the phenomenon of honor crimes, one needs to change the perception of such crimes in Arab society.
 
 
 
On International Women`s Day in March 2007, Kayan published excerpts of the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act" of 1991 in Arabic and distributed 2000 leaflets to Arab women in social welfare offices, universities, schools, and other public places. This is the first publication of the legislation in Arabic. Due to the lack of any information on the issue in Arabic, Kayan saw the need to produce this publication in order to inform Arab women about their legal rights against domestic violence in their own language. The "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act" is designed to offer fast and unintrusive assistance to women in emergencies. Women can apply to family courts for protective orders on their own, without the need to consult a lawyer first.