The Strong Power Of The Press / By Shany Bar Lavi & Noa Daniel , 1.7.2020

Have you ever noticed how the press influences our mind?

Every summer in Israel is extremely hot, the high temperatures require short clothes. However, the school's dress-code doesn’t allow short pants. Usually, schools are harsher on the girls than on the boys about this issue.

This summer, girls all over Israel stood up to stop what they considered discrimination by arranging a strike. The strike reached the press quickly, and their courage created ripples all around the country.

Photograph Credit: Noam Yisrael, Ynet, 20.5.20

In our high school, "Shikma Darca", a bunch of students heard about this issue from the press and demanded equality by planning a strike. However, our school is already highly aware of equality issues.

The school's student council prevented their strike and arranged a meeting with the school’s administration. Following the meeting, Eden, an 11th grade council representative said: "We believe in the power of conversations and mutual respect. Thanks to these values we found the best way to convince the administration." The principal, Mrs. Ofira Gal said:”I appreciate the student council for getting the facts right before jumping to conclusions. We unanimously agreed that girls and boys will wear knee-length shorts.”

The press misled students by creating a reality where all the schools are sexist. We hope this article will raise awareness regarding the press’s influence and moreover, the importance of dialogue before protest.