Domestic Abuse Survivor Votes for First Time, Advocates for Women

Rozan Shahada, 36, who twice escaped violent homes and abusive relationships, is voting for the first time in her life. Having fled an abusive family at 13 and later escaping a violent marriage with her two infant daughters, Shahada found refuge in a shelter for battered women. She previously avoided the polls, viewing politics as distant and irrelevant to her struggles. However, this year, driven by her work establishing an NGO to help women recover from abuse, she is making a personal historical choice to vote and is encouraging other women to do the same.

Shahada's personal journey is marked by profound trauma. Born Rokiya into a large Bedouin family near Beersheba, she experienced severe physical and emotional abuse, describing her upbringing as one where women were subjugated and had no voice. Her book, 'Jahannam,' details her childhood in a recognized village and later in a "infrastructure" home, highlighting the pervasive domestic violence against women within her community, which she states is not uncommon. The concept of "honor" in Bedouin society, she notes, can lead to severe consequences, including murder.

At 13, after saving money from farm work, Shahada fled her home. Lacking Hebrew language skills and family support, she faced challenges with authorities. She recounts having to evade police after seeking their help, fearing repatriation to her parents. She was placed in the closed Julis boarding school, which she describes as a place where girls sought to end their lives, but she chose to survive. Later, in an open boarding school in Haifa, she learned to read and write, and at 17 and a half, she began an independent life.

She obtained a driver's license, started a fashion business, and married a Christian man, converting to Christianity. However, she alleges that her marriage devolved into economic and physical abuse. After ten years and two daughters, she fled again with her children to a women's shelter, facing debt and lacking resources. In the shelter, she found purpose, deciding to use her experiences to help others.

This led her to found the "Learning to Walk Together" NGO, which provides psychological, financial, and practical support to divorced and separated women exiting abusive cycles. Shahada criticizes the ineffectiveness of official institutions, noting that about 80% of women leaving shelters return to abusive situations. She believes that only those who have personally experienced such "hell" can provide effective support, as money alone does not solve the root problem. Her NGO, funded by private donors, assists women from all sectors, and she plans to focus on at-risk youth next.

Shahada, who previously avoided politics due to fear of exposure and judgment, is now breaking her silence. She shares a video encouraging women who fear voting to do so, assuring them their choice is private. Her shift in perspective was influenced by activists like Lily Ben Ami, who provided Shahada with physical and technological protection during a life-threatening period. Shahada is now publicly supporting Ben Ami and the "Yisrael Beiteinu" party, citing Ben Ami's inclusive approach to helping women regardless of their background. Shahada asserts that the culture is "crooked" and the system is "built incorrectly," criticizing both societal norms that perpetuate violence and the failures of state welfare, legal, and political systems, including Arab Knesset members. She recounts being forced by the court and social services to maintain contact with her abusive father as a teenager, highlighting the system's flaws.