Israel Launches 25M NIS Initiative to Close High-Tech Gender Gap
The Ministry of Labor and the Israel Innovation Authority launched a 25 million shekel initiative to bridge the high-tech gender gap, addressing wage disparities, maternity leave challenges, and leadership underrepresentation.
Despite being the innovation engine of the economy, the high-tech industry continues to grapple with a deep gender gap reflected in the underrepresentation of women in key positions and senior technological roles. Organizational barriers, cultural norms, the challenges of returning from maternity leave, and age discrimination create a glass ceiling that prevents skilled women from advancing to management, VP, and CEO roles, and even leads them to leave the sector.
The government, through the Ministry of Labor and in partnership with the Israel Innovation Authority, has launched a vital initiative with a total investment of approximately 25 million shekels to fund 15 new programs addressing five key challenges: training women in deep-tech industries, promoting women to CEO and CTO positions, reintegrating women into high-tech professions, professional advancement following maternity leave, and embedding organizational processes for gender equality.
The initiative comes in response to persistent gaps between women and men in the high-tech industry, both in representation across technological and managerial roles and in wage levels. For instance, women in high-tech earn an average of about 23,000 shekels per month, compared to about 33,000 shekels for men—a gap of approximately 10,200 shekels per month, with men's salaries being about 44% higher than women's.
Labor Ministry and Innovation Authority Response
Ministry of Labor Director General Ruby Shemesh noted: "Increasing life expectancy and changes in the labor market require us to prepare for a diverse, inclusive employment market tailored to all age groups. As early as age 50, a decline in employment rates is evident among both women and men, and ageist perceptions, including self-ageism, constitute a significant barrier to continued integration into quality employment."
Shemesh added that the ministry is working to expand employment opportunities at advanced ages and maximize the potential of workers throughout their careers. Hanan Brand, VP of Startups at the Israel Innovation Authority, emphasized that the ability of Israeli high-tech to continue growing and leading globally depends on maximizing the full potential of human capital.
"The challenge for us is not only to increase the number of women in high-tech, but to ensure that more women can build a meaningful career, advance, and lead breakthrough companies and technologies," stated Hanan Brand.
Previous Initiatives and Future Outlook
This is not the first time such an initiative has been undertaken. Prior to October 7, in August 2023, the Innovation Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry for Social Equality, initiated an 18 million shekel investment in bodies developing innovative programs to increase human capital in Israeli high-tech through entrepreneurs from Arab society and women. The sector now awaits the implementation of these new programs with the hope of advancing as many women as possible within the high-tech industry.
