HAIFA (Press Release)–The University of Haifa will award the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, to Mrs. Ruth Dayan during the University’s 38th Meeting of the Board of Governors, which will take place on June 1-3. The honorary doctorate will be conferred upon Mrs. Dayan in recognition of her longstanding contribution to Israel’s economic, cultural and social strength.
The Senate of the University emphasized her extensive contribution to the empowerment of women, immigrants and other groups in Israeli society who – thanks to her guiding hand – succeeded in becoming a pivotal force in society; her sharing her vision and knowledge with other countries and backing them in aspiring toward a more equal society; the great honor that her work has brought to the State of Israel; and her many years of friendship with the University of Haifa.
Mrs. Dayan, born in Haifa in 1917, is a social activist and one of the founders of Variety Israel. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Mrs. Dayan founded the “Eshet Chayil” (“Woman of Valor”) project on behalf of the Jewish Agency – a project integrating women immigrants into the growing Israeli economy through traditional handicraft work, such as embroidery, weaving and knitting, thereby also preserving the culture and heritage of the Diaspora. Following the success of this project, Mrs. Dayan, then an employee of the Israel Ministry of Labor, founded Maskit, a fashion house that operated from 1954 to 1994 producing local creations combining traditional Eastern art with original Israeli designs. Over the years, Mrs. Dayan continued using traditional arts and crafts as a tool for social change and women’s empowerment. She initiated and advised many handiwork projects for women around the world, such as India, Ethiopia and various South American countries.
Her most recent project, which began in 1991 and continues today, involves assisting Bedouin women to break out of the circle of unemployment in Israel through their traditional embroidery and jewelry designs.
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Preceding provided by the University of Haifa