The festival is a collaboration between the KKL-JNF Workers Organization and the Israeli Women Organization NA'AMAT. The three award-winning women were chosen due to their prolific activity in the field of women's health in Israel:
Dr. Lior Shahar
A graduate of the Tel Aviv University School of Medicine, Dr. Shahar is an expert in family health who teaches classes on health and gender. Dr. Shahar established the sexual trauma treatment and prevention unit at the Israeli health system, initiated by the National Council for Women's Health, and served as the head of the unit for four years. During these years, she worked to raise awareness for sexual harassment among medical teams, working with the Israeli Ministry of Health, the media, medical students, and doctors. Dr. Shahar is a member of the health and gender committee established by the council for women's advancement of the Israeli Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology. Along with her partner, Dr. Lior Baruch, she writes and teaches the "Feminist Medicine" model.
Dr. Ayala Brenzon, on Behalf of the "Women and Their Bodies" Organization
The "Women and Their Bodies" organization was founded in 2005 by women and for women and teenage girls to promote social change and raise awareness for health and positive sexuality issue. "Women and Their Bodies" acts to close the gaps and lead social change through fieldwork with women and teenage girls all throughout Israel, as well as making professional and reliable information accessible. The organization makes cultural and linguistic adaptation of activity for different populations in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Amharic.
Dr. Brendit Ayoub
A family doctor who has been working for a decade at the Meuhedet medical service organization, seven of which in Kfar Nahf in Northern Israel. During her work, she made a real change in a field that especially important to her: women's health.
Dr. Ayoub initiates community activities that promote health lifestyle among women of Kfar Nahf and the surrounding area, as walking groups, home visits for women who feel more comfortable in their familiar environment, guidance on the subject of diabetes, accompanying women during birth, encourage breastfeeding and guidance on family planning. Currently, Dr. Ayoub collect information about women who suffer from Fibromyalgia, and intends to take action and devise a plan of sport and physiotherapy to improve that women's quality of life and reduce their dependence on visiting expert doctors and clinics.
Lea Fadida, KKL-JNF Public Relations Director: "I was very excited as this even drew close, and it certainly met out expectations. At KKL-JNF, we are proud to participate in the empowerment of women from all over the country, and support women's health and activism. I would like to personally salute the women who won the award and many other women throughout the country, who placed women's empowerment at the top of their agenda, and work every day to make our reality more equal and fair. I would also like to take this opportunity and thank the KKL-JNF Workers' Organization and NA'AMAT on the successful collaboration in organizing this event."
Hagit Pe'er, Chair of NA'AMAT: "Women often tend to put their health at the bottom of their priorities. The "Healthy in the Forest" celebration reminds us to remember ourselves, smile, laugh, dance and make room for our own experience together. Because we have a responsibility to take care of bodies, our souls and ourselves. The state also has its own responsibility, to map our unique needs as women, to raise awareness for women's health and the importance of preventive medicine, to encourage women-related researches, and of course to fund it all."