מנהלות דרוזיות חלוצות

The Druze education system has undergone important changes since Israeli statehood in 1948, all of which were formal and institutional. However, an informal change, which emerged in the 1980s and is still ongoing came from within the Druze population, especially the women. This study traced the positions of pioneering Druze school principals, all women, regarding their role and status in Druze society. Of the five principals interviewed, three are active principals and two are former principals, all among the first to fill this position in the Druze community or in their village. The findings indicated that the rise in the level of education, followed by going out to work, led to a change in the status of the Druze woman. The academic education of the study participants led them to becoming pioneers in their area, and trailblazers for other women by influencing Druze parents to send their daughters to study, allowing them to be exposed to innovative ways of thinking and to positions different from their own. The participating principals were supported by close family members and especially by their husbands. At the same time, religious persona and the civic leadership in their villages opposed these appointments. Nevertheless, their success as principals made them the "womb of the silent revolution" in the Druze community.