Israeli Program Helps UAE Women Advance Hi-Tech Careers

A unique program that helps women advance their hi-tech careers in Israel is expanding to the UAE.

FemForward provides the tools, networking, and mentorships needed for women to progress their careers.

It is now joining forces with the UAE-Israel Business Council, which builds ties promoting trade, innovation, and cooperation between the two countries, to take its program abroad. 

More than 100 women from all hi-tech sectors have graduated from the initiative in Israel and many have advanced to management positions. 

The three-month program has been made possible through a grant from the US Embassy in Israel. 

It starts with a two-day seminar in Israel, followed by weekly online lectures and a mentorship program, ending with a two-day seminar in Dubai. 

Lecturers include Adi Soffer Teeni, general manager of Meta Israel, and Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, deputy mayor of Jerusalem and co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council. Google and McKinsey are also involved.

“We created FemForward with the vision of making a lasting impact on women’s careers and the results so far have been outstanding,” said FemForward Founder and CEO Rachel Wagner Rosenzweig.

“We are tremendously excited to bring this successful program to our fellow Abraham Accords countries.”

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Co-founder of the Gulf-Israel Women’s Forum, a division of the UAE-Israel Business Council, said: “As the technology industry in the Abraham Accords countries continues to grow, so do the opportunities for women to expand their careers and become managers and leaders.

“By providing them with the tools they need, we are helping to increase the numbers of female leaders in the region.”

FemForward was founded in 2020 as Israel’s first junior-to-manager program designed to address the lack of career advancement for women in entry-level positions.

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