Chapter 12: Highlighting the Bright Side: Pioneer Arab Women in Israeli Higher Education

This chapter highlights the experiences of Palestinian Arab women who have become faculty members of in Israel. Interviews with participants provide insight into the lives of this unique and growing group: a minority within a minority; that is, they are both minoritized Arab citizens within a Jewish majority, as well as women living in a patriarchal society. The chapter details the challenges they face as they balance duties at home with their roles in academia, the changes in their identity and status in personal and professional spheres, the coping strategies used for empowerment, and the changes they inspired as path-breaking role models.