The Blogs: My Bedouin mother wears a niqab. She voted for a better future | Mirvat Abu Hadoba-Frieh

A Bedouin postdoctoral researcher defends her mother and other Bedouin women who wear the niqab against social media suspicion of their voting in Israel's recent election, citing their hard work, rising education and employment rates, and high poverty levels as reasons for their political participation.

In a personal essay on The Times of Israel's blog platform, Mirvat Abu Hadoba-Frieh, a postdoctoral researcher, defends Bedouin women's voting rights in Israel's recent election. She describes her mother, who wears a niqab and worked as a shepherd to fund her education, as an example of the strength and independence of Bedouin women. The article counters social media comments that questioned Bedouin women's ability to vote independently, citing statistics: 81% of Bedouin undergraduate students in the Negev during 2021-2022 were women, and the employment rate among Bedouin women rose from 15% in 2014 to 31% in 2024. It also notes high child poverty rates in Rahat (52.7%) and Abu Tulul (71%). The author argues that voting is a demand for change in living conditions, not a cause for suspicion.