Israel: Women still make up only one-third of high-tech workers
Women continue to be underrepresented in the Israeli sector high technologyIt makes up about 34% of the workforce, according to the 2022 report released on Sunday.
For the second year in a row, Power in Diversity’s Israel Startup Ecosystem Diversity Report, created by Alan Feld, Canadian-Israeli founder and managing partner of Vintage Investment Partners, found that despite a modest annual growth of 0.4% in 2022, female representation, male presence will still also dominates the sector high technology .
According to the report, which is based on an analysis of data collected from 650 active Israeli companies financed by development funds, women hold 24% of management positions, an increase of 6% from 2021. people in the country.
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The percentage of women in technological positions is 27.8%.
“Despite strong demand for talent and significant recruitment efforts in the first half of 2022, we saw no significant change,” the report said.
About 72 venture capital funds and more than 200 startups are part of the Strength in Diversity initiative, which was created to integrate marginalized communities such as Arabs, ultra-Orthodox. haredim – and Ethiopians among others. The initiative has worked for years to help companies high technology and venture capital funds to hire workers from diverse communities and overcome inherent biases that employers may not even be aware of.
Funds included in the initiative include Viola, Pitango, Qumra, Glilot, Vintage Investment Partners, Elah Fund, Maor Invests and Hetz Ventures.
Power in Diversity selects a list of the top five Israeli companies listed in Israel’s high-tech sector. (Permission)
“In this very difficult political environment, where the country’s social and financial achievements are threatened, the high-tech sector, which is the engine of the economy, must make every effort to invite women into the industry,” said Sivan Shamri Dahan, CEO, partner at Qumra Capital and member of the Power in Diversity Steering Committee. Changes happen over time and we are implementing a step-by-step plan to achieve full gender equality in employment.
“We need to make ultra-Orthodox and Arab women, who are a small part of our industry, our next focus,” she said.
The engine of the development of the Israeli economy, the sector high technology accounts for about 25% of total tax revenues and about 10% of the workforce. At the same time, the country suffers from a serious shortage of qualified specialists in this sector. According to the latest Tech 2021-2022 Human Capital report from the Start-Up Nation Policy Institute and the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), there are approximately 32,900 positions available, including 21,000 in the technology sector. high technology.
“2023 is not going to be an easy year for startups,” said Kobi Samboursky, co-chairman of Power in Diversity and co-founder of Glilot Capital Partners. “After years of market growth, we’re seeing cross-industry cuts and conditions of uncertainty. »
“Especially in times like these, we need to look at underrepresented populations because they are more vulnerable,” Samboursky added.
Low-income populations, including the ultra-Orthodox, Arab Israelis and women, have been largely left out of the boom in the high-tech sector, leading to large income gaps. Arabs and haredimAccording to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), those who are among Israel’s poorest today are expected to make up half of the population by 2065.
Participation rate of the Arab population in the labor market high technology remains low, according to the report. Israeli Arabs, who make up 20% of Israel’s population, make up only 0.2% of jobs in the startup industry. About 2-3% of jobs in traditional high-tech industries are held by Israeli Arabs, while 16% of Israeli Arabs hold degrees in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Because of the gap in numbers, the industry has a lot of work and strategic vision to do,” according to the report.
It is estimated that only 0.4% of entry-level workers are among the Jewish population haredim, most of whom are women, the report said. The ultra-Orthodox population makes up 13.5% of Israeli society and holds 3% of jobs in traditional businesses in the region. high technologyaccording to the report.
“Especially these days, the discussion of inclusion, equality and acceptance should be a stage in the behavior of all of us, especially companies in the high-tech sector, which is the source of innovation and progress,” said Shahar, CEO of Power in Diversity. Silica. “Companies that emphasize a healthy organizational culture are more stable companies that can deal more effectively with uncertainty. »
“In today’s environment, this is a significant advantage,” Silis said.
The report also selected the top five most diverse companies listed in Israel’s financial sector. high technology. Israeli cybersecurity company Riskified leads the list, followed by payroll technology developer Payoneer, web content discovery company Outbrain, online services company Fiverr and monday.com, developer of a workplace management and collaboration platform.
