Report: Women Underrepresented In Israeli High-Tech Sector

Women are still underrepresented in the Israeli high-tech sector and moves to improve the situation have stalled, according to a new report by the RISE Israel independent think tank, which was released to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8.  

The report by RISE Israel (formerly the Startup Nation Policy Institute), found that women comprised just 36 percent of employees in the sector in 2023, a figure unchanged from the year before. 

It also found Israel significantly lagging when it comes to companies with at least one female founder that raised capital in 2023. In Israel, such companies constitute just 16 percent of the total number, compared to 25 percent in Europe and 26 percent in the US. 

This situation is also reflected in the younger generations, with women comprising just 28 percent of Israeli students with high-tech majors in 2023 and just 40 percent of other STEM  (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) majors, Again, the report found a stagnant situation, with no increase in women participating in these areas of study over the past 15 years. 

“Even in 2024, women are still underrepresented in Israeli high-tech,” said Yam Atir, VP of Strategy at RISE Israel. 

“Our report indicates that the increase in the share of women over the past decade – which was already slow and moderate – has come to a complete halt in the past year,” she said.  

“Increasing the representation of women in high-tech in general, and in key roles in particular, is a tangible necessity, both for the sake of promoting equality and for expanding the workforce in this industry. Especially now, when the economic locomotive has also become a significant social engine in Israel, it is even more important to make the sector more equal and diverse. Local high-tech can and should be built on strong and broad female leadership, serving as a role model for girls, teenagers, and women in Israel and around the world.”