Home › Blog › Believe Israeli Women Campaign Addresses Disinformation
By Meredith Jacobs CEO, Jewish Women International
Jewish Women International (JWI) has long been the leading Jewish organization working to end violence against women and girls. Immediately following the horrific events of October 7th, JWI sprang into action, briefing Members of Congress, the White House, and writing powerful op-eds about the sexual violence used as a weapon of war against Israeli women. These atrocities demanded action, compassion, and global attention. As an organization rooted in justice and dignity, JWI felt a profound responsibility to respond, ensuring that these acts of violence would not be ignored or denied.
photo courtesy of Jewish Women International
And we did. In partnership with the Seed the Dream Foundation, JWI launched the I Believe Israeli Women Global Movement, a powerful initiative standing in solidarity with Israeli women and fighting the denial of and disinformation about the sexual violence committed on and after October 7. This joint effort provides individuals, organizations, and communities an outlet through which to stand in solidarity with Israeli women and to challenge the disinformation that seeks to erase their experiences. It is a growing coalition of secular women’s organizations and Jewish partners committed to this cause, amplifying the voices of Israeli women and former hostages.
Through I Believe Israeli Women, JWI has advised students on college campuses and community leaders around the country, empowering them to speak out and educate their peers. JWI is working for historic justice and accountability at the United Nations, exposing the use of social media by perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence to spread terror, deny the truth, and justify rape as resistance. Ahead of the 69th UN Commission on the Status of Women, Jewish Women International is preparing a report on the use of social media to spread denial and disinformation about October 7th and conflict-related sexual violence, and will be hosting an official parallel event while the Commission is in session.
This global movement exemplifies JWI’s continued leadership in creating a safer and more equitable world for women and girls everywhere.