The Talented Arab Girl: Between Tradition and Modernism

Since Israel's independence in 1948 Arab females were the main beneficiaries of the law of mandatory education. Arab women aged 65+ have, on average, less than one year of formal education. Their granddaughters, aged 18–24, have about 12.5 years of schooling – a number that increases each year. As in many Arab countries, Arab girls in Israel tend to enhance their education while observing the rules of tradition and acting within the socially accepted norms (David & Khalil, in preparation). Unlike in many Western societies, in Arab society in Israel – Muslim, Druze and certainly Christian – educational aspirations are not perceived as contradicting religion. Thus, a young educated Arab woman has no restrictions on her education per se. If she is judged by significant others it is only her behaviour that is criticized. As long as she does not behave against the strict laws of “family honour” she is encouraged to excel, even in co-educational programs. Her achievements, high intellectual abilities, good grades and higher degrees make her family proud (Abed-el-Kader Yichya, 1995; David, 2002, 2007). This paper examines a few areas where Arab girls excel, e.g., in school, in the professions and in social achievements. Also included is an analysis of their hardships and suggestions regarding potential ways to overcome or partially overcome these hardships.