Israeli Druze women in politics in the 21st century - supporting versus inhibiting factors

The study aimed to examine the attitudes of the Druze community regarding the integration of Druze women in local and National politics. The sample contained 600 participants, aged 25-65, of whom 333 were males (55.5%) and 267 females (44.5%), were randomly sampled from all residents of the Druze villages in the Galilee and Carmel regions of Israel. The quantitative questionnaire contained 11 items, and A qualitative questionnaire containing two open-ended questions, In addition, the study used a short socio-demographic questionnaire ( age, gender, and education).The study found that there are those who encourage and promote the candidacy of Druze women for leading positions in politics, while others prefer to hinder the progress of Druze women, We concluded that there has been an increase in the level of awareness among members of the Druze community regarding the integration of women in local and National politics Most of the factors cited stem from the cultural-religious contexts and stereotypical perceptions that women do not have leadership skills. From the findings it can be concluded that there is an increase in awareness among members of the Druze community regarding the rising status of women in general, and particularly their integration into social and political life.