Mona Al-Habaneen: Founder of "Amerat of the Desert"

Mona Al-Habaneen founded Amerat of the Desert for which she was awarded the Rappaport Prize for Long-term Achievement. At age 28, mother to five small children and pregnant, Al-Habaneen was forced into divorce due to a family dispute and was about to lose custody of her children. After winning her personal battle, she decided to fight for other women, and established Amerat of the Desert, which advocates against polygamy, fights against violence towards women and helps anyone who is in need of its services.

The association works to promote the status of Bedouin women in traditional and Israeli society by providing academic and employment tools for women experiencing financial difficulty and hardship. The organization operates primarily for the benefit of the Bedouin community in the Negev Region of Israel.