Forum Dvorah פורום דבורה

Forum Dvorah: Women in Foreign Policy and National Security was established in 2009. The Forum is a non-partisan, active network of approximately one hundred professional Israeli women in a variety of fields from security, to law to finance and environment. The network was originally established by the Institute for Inclusive Security, in light of UNSCR 1325 which stresses the importance of “equal participation and full involvement” of women “in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security”. The current objectives of Forum Dvorah are dual: to contribute to the inclusion of women in Israeli decision-making processes on the national level and to strengthen Forum Dvorah's high-level network of professional women. These objectives are currently carried out through six different types of initiatives and activities including: Quarterly seminars for Forum Members Bi-monthly Steering Committee meetings The expansion of the Forum's roster of professional women in related fields Active engagement with groups and initiatives focused on the inclusion of women in national policy-making circles Organization of advocacy meetings for Forum Dvorah members with Israeli public officials and members of the diplomatic community Maintaining an ongoing online presence of the Forum. The Forum’s activities are assessed through measurable indicators such as the number of women incorporated into decision-making processes and the adaptation of such processes, the number of women who take part in seminars, the number of new women who join the network, quantifiable feedback by members and linkages and career opportunities for women which have resulted from the Forum’s platform and connections. The Forum is named after the Deborah the Prophet who is the only female judge mentioned in the Bible, and who was also a wise counsellor and a successful defender of her people – by all standards an extraordinary woman of her time.