What We Do
Lobbying and Policy Change
Gila Project works against institutional exclusion and discrimination against trans people and for the development of responses that will address the long-standing neglect of our communities.
We operate in Knesset committees, vis-à-vis government ministries, and vis-à-vis institutions and authorities, both through lobbying and legal means.
Over the years, we have been involved, among other things, in struggles for the right to health and to improve the treatment provided in public medicine to those who seek gender-affirming medical procedures. We participated in the drafting of a cultural competency guideline for working with transgender people that was published by the Ministry of Health's Mental Health Department and the MInistry of Social Services, and we worked to abolish the separation procedure that was in place in the Israel Prison Service.
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The Trans Center is the first of its kind in the country, dedicated solely to our community in all its diversity.
The center serves as a home for our community, the transgender community. It is a place to meet, have fun, connect, and create a support network that envelops each and every one of us and accompanies us along the way.
The center offers a holistic approach that encompasses various aspects of life: workshops, events, groups, and social gatherings alongside individual services for people on the transgender spectrum, their families, as well as information and guidance for professionals who work with the community.
Knowledge Accessibility
Our communities are not receiving adequate responses from the healthcare and welfare systems.
Due to transphobic events, lack of knowledge, and inappropriate treatment, many people in our communities avoid seeking medical and mental health care and using welfare services. In order to promote the rights of the transgender community vis-à-vis healthcare and welfare institutions, and to work to improve services, we established Gila's Trans Training Insitite. Its mission is to promote a rapprochement dialogue while making professional and community transgender knowledge accessible.
During the last two years, we educated approximately 3,000 medical, nursing, psychologists, social workers teams, and trained dministrative workers in the field of medicine and medical and nursing students.
Lobbying and Policy Change
Gila Project works against institutional exclusion and discrimination against trans people and for the development of responses that will address the long-standing neglect of our communities.
We operate in Knesset committees, vis-à-vis government ministries, and vis-à-vis institutions and authorities, both through lobbying and legal means.
Over the years, we have been involved, among other things, in struggles for the right to health and to improve the treatment provided in public medicine to those who seek gender-affirming medical procedures. We participated in the drafting of a cultural competency guideline for working with transgender people that was published by the Ministry of Health's Mental Health Department and the MInistry of Social Services, and we worked to abolish the separation procedure that was in place in the Israel Prison Service.
Transgender Healthcare
Since its inception in 2010, Gila Project has been at the forefront of advocating for trans healthcare rights, working tirelessly to ensure that transgender people in Israel have access to quality, affirming, and accessible healthcare. We played a pivotal role in shaping trans healthcare policies and practices in Israel. Through ongoing engagement with policymakers, the Ministry of Health, hospitals, and clinics.
in the past two years we have been able to advance the field as part of a joint project with the Israeli Association for Civil Rights, Ma'avarim and the Legal Clinic for Human Rights at the University of Haifa, with the support of the European Union.
Through the years, we successfully advocated for:
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The establishment of dedicated transgender healthcare clinics across Israel, providing specialized care tailored to the unique needs of the transgender community.
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The expansion of insurance coverage for gender-affirming healthcare, ensuring that financial barriers do not impede access to essential medical treatment.
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The development of informed consent guidelines for gender-affirming care, empowering transgender individuals to make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Gila Project's advocacy efforts extend beyond policy reform, encompassing a range of initiatives that promote trans health and well-being. Our unwavering commitment to trans healthcare has made a profound impact on the lives of transgender individuals in Israel. Through its advocacy, education, and support services, Gila Project has created a more inclusive and affirming healthcare landscape, empowering transgender people to live healthy, authentic, and fulfilling lives.
Trans-Doula
The Trans-Doula Project is an one-of-it's-kind innovative that was established in 2020 and is led by Nina Halevy, the public representative on the Gender Confirmation Committee at Sheba-Tel Hashomer.
The project provides individual support to transgender women around gender confirmation processes, with a focus on vaginoplasty surgery.
The project includes:
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Individual counseling sessions and group therapy sessions on topics related to lower surgery for transgender women, at the Transgender Center
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Consulting with hospitals on the proper construction and implementation of gender-affirming surgical processes
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Creating training and educational materials, including the updated guide for women undergoing vaginoplasty
Transgender and Gender Diverse Children and Youth
In recent years, we have witnessed a rise in negative and hostile rhetoric about children on the transgender spectrum as a tool to sway public opinion against the transgender community and against the values of inclusion, diversity, freedom, and equality. This type of discourse undermines the legitimacy of the existence of transgender people in society and is particularly dangerous for children and youth.
One of the most common and toxic tactics is the distortion of data and the dissemination of misinformation as a justification for reducing or even eliminating support services that affirm the gender identity of children, youth, and adults. For this reason, we have focused this year on the Ma'ayan Project, in collaboration with the LGBT Association, to create an accessible infrastructure of reliable knowledge and practiceת supported by research and led by leading professionals in their fields.
Transgender Activism
Gila Project for Transgender Empowerment is rooted in the activism of community members.
We believe that we must take action to create change in our own lives and in the lives of our community, and that it is our responsibility to continue to create the infrastructure for activism for anyone who can and wants to participate.
