Women of Lakiya
Queens of the desert
Two Bedouin women-empowerment projects in the Negev declared tourism centers. Plans for the future include a tourist village that will display Bedouin heritage and will be run exclusively by women
The Tourism Ministry announced that two women empowerment projects– "The Desert's Embroidery" and "Negev Weaving" - that operate in the Bedouin village of Lakiya are tourism centers.
"Negev Weaving" employs over 150 women that are responsible for the entire weaving process from spinning the threads through dying and interweaving. "The Tourism Ministry's announcement is very important for us," said Hadra El Sana, the project's director. "We've been around for 16 years and waited a long time for this recognition. Our dream is to build a tourist village which will be run by women and present the Bedouin women's heritage.
Embroidery techniques pass from mother to daughter (Photo: Dafna Talmon)
"The Desert's Embroidery" project, an initiative of the association for the advancement of the Bedouin woman in Lakiya, is aimed at improving women's social and financial status. The project focuses on developing home-based employment solution to the village's women by relaying on their traditional embroidery skills.
The Tourism Ministry has been developing Bedouin tourism as a part of the desert's tourist attractions. As a result, in the past several years, there has been a steady increase in the number of visitors to the Bedouin settlements and markets.
