Israeli tech companies are increasingly hiring women for research and development roles, with a 130% increase recorded over the past decade, according to a report by the Israel Innovation Authority and Reichman University published ahead of International Women’s Day on Thursday.
The research claimed that 38% of women in the Israeli tech industry held R&D positions last year, compared to around 28% in 2013. This indicates an annual growth rate of 2.7%, similar to that of men.
Women now hold approximately one-third of all high-tech positions in the Jewish state, falling just short of the 43% target set by the country’s National High-Tech Human Capital Committee for the year 2035.
The report noted that the Israeli tech industry’s trajectory mirrors global trends, aligning with countries like Germany, France and Poland.
Despite global economic instability and layoffs due to the war with Hamas, the growth rate in Israel’s tech sector for both women and men remains consistent at around 2.7%.
However, the proportion of women in administrative and business development roles has decreased from 50.7% in 2014 to 41.4% in 2024, demonstrating an 18% decline in the last decade.
“The tech sector has been at the forefront of the Israeli economy for many years, but there is still a way to go regarding gender equality,” said Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority. “We see more women in core roles, but the growth rate is insufficient to reach gender parity.”
Sergei Sumkin, a researcher at Reichman University’s Aaron Institute for Economic Policy, noted that “gender gaps in tech positions and the tech industry’s R&D positions are not a result of differences in ability or achievements between men and women, but rather stem from different choices made by them at various stages of the education system.”
According to Bin, about 3,500 positions were added for women in tech in 2023, compared to about 6,700 positions for men. “To bring about change, there must be a concerted long-term effort by the tech industry and relevant government entities to continue breaking the glass ceiling for women earlier in their career,” he stated.
