Women

IATI Meshuhreret-Tech Program

IATI in collaboration with the Social Economic Forum, Jerusalem Development Authority, IDF, IAI, and Check Point, have established the ‘Meshuhreret-Tech’, prestige one of a kind Program, which stands for ‘Discharged-Tech’, with the aim of increasing the number of women in the high-tech industry. Dozens of female soldiers who have been released from the army are participating in the Meshuhreret-Tech program in Jerusalem this year. The goal is to provide the participants an in-depth mentorship process to encourage them to integrate into academic engineering studies. The program was launched for the second time under the leadership of Business Roundtable Israel and IATI. It was launched in cooperation with the Jerusalem Development Authority and Moriah Company, the IDF, IAI, and Check Point.

Want to Celebrate Women? Commemorate This Powerful Month and Make a Real Difference?

Ideas to celebrate the month of women in your workplace:

Did You Know?

Women are roughly 50% of the Israeli population, dispersed between Jewish and Arab, religious and ultra-religious, Ethiopians, and more, each group with its struggles and needs. While the general unemployment rate is similar, there is a higher percentage of employed men that women, and when it comes to high-tech, it’s even worse – only 24% (!) of the workforce are female. Why is this happening?

Well, only 30% of STEM students are female, but the problem starts even earlier.
There is significant male dominance in the elite military intelligence unit 8200, one of Israel’s central passageways to the high-tech world.
Going back even earlier, 68% of 5-point Computer Science and 65% of 5-point Physics high-school students are male.
With such male dominance from an early stage, it’s no wonder women are misrepresented in the high-tech workplace.

Read more in our full 2022 report

מדד המגדר 2022

Here’s what you can do to improve this situation

#1 Hire more women
As simple as it sounds, the fact is we still have a long way to go. Don’t be afraid to reach out to women on social media or use other methods.

#2 Create leadership programs
In your organization for all relevant employees, and make sure women are an integral part of these programs. This will keep them in the company for longer and assist to promote them to management positions.

#3 Bring awareness
Within your organization and encourage employees to take an active part in head-hunting for new female employees. This can be an ongoing or a limited campaign, but the more people are involved and invested in your initiative, the better.

4. Make sure all the men in your organization are on board
There is nothing more damaging than a chauvinistic joke or a misplaced comment to undermine all your diversity efforts. While you work to promote women in the workplace, ensure that the employees are on the same page as you and your goal.

5. Remember!
It’s often the things you don’t do and not only the thing you do. If you have a team meeting of nine men and only one woman, she may not feel comfortable speaking her mind. Be attentive to such situations.