New NIS 15 Million Initiative Launched to Advance Women in High-Tech Leadership and Retention
New call for proposals in collaboration with Ministry of Labor will support programs aimed at integrating women into leadership and R&D roles with a particular emphasis on women aged 45+ and solutions addressing workforce barriers
The Israel Innovation Authority, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor, today announced a new call for proposals under the Human Capital Fund aimed at advancing gender equality in Israel’s high-tech industry through investment in innovative workforce development and retention programs.
As part of the initiative, more than NIS 15 million is expected to be invested in programs designed to increase the integration, advancement, and retention of women in high-tech, with a particular emphasis on women aged 45+ and solutions addressing workforce barriers related to parenthood and mid-career attrition.
The call for proposals invites corporations and training entities to develop programs across two central themes:
- Advancing women into senior leadership positions, including CEO, VP, and senior R&D management roles
- Strengthening retention and professional advancement opportunities for experienced women in the industry.
Programs selected under the initiative will receive funding covering 50% to 70% of approved budgets for up to three years. According to the Authority’s estimates, approximately NIS 10 million in government grants will support around 500 women, with the overall budget expected to expand based on submitted programs and additional funding sources.
According to the Israel Innovation Authority’s 2026 Women in High-Tech Status Report, women currently account for approximately 33% of Israel’s high-tech workforce, a figure that has remained largely unchanged over the past decade. Representation gaps are even more significant in core R&D positions, where women comprise approximately 26.5% of employees, and in senior management positions, where representation remains around 20%.
The report also found that gender pay gaps in the sector remain substantial, averaging between 20% and 30% in favor of men, with disparities increasing alongside years of experience. The decline in the participation of women aged 45+ in high-tech has also emerged as a growing workforce challenge amid increasing life expectancy and changes to retirement age policies.
Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, said: “The data leaves no room for doubt: over an entire decade, the percentage of women in high-tech has barely changed, and the gaps in core and leadership positions remain especially deep. This represents a direct loss of growth potential and competitiveness for the Israeli economy. We must act in a way to break down structural barriers, particularly the parenthood barrier and the points at which women leave the industry mid-career, in order to create meaningful change.”
“This initiative is designed to address the issue systemically, both by advancing women into influential leadership positions and by retaining the highly skilled human capital already present within the industry. This is a strategic investment in the future of Israeli high-tech and its ability to continue leading globally.”
Rubi Shamesh, Director General of the Ministry of Labor, said: “Gender equality in high-tech is a critical economic growth engine for the Israeli economy. The shortage of skilled labor requires us to broaden participation in the industry and ensure women have equal opportunities to enter, advance, and lead.”
“The unique aspect of this call for proposals is the focus on intervention beginning already at ages 45+, through practical solutions that address key barriers and enable women to realize their full professional potential throughout every stage of their careers.”
The initiative builds upon the Tech 50:50 initiative established in 2023 by the Israel Innovation Authority and the Ministry of Labor to advance gender equality across Israel’s high-tech ecosystem. The initiative operates through a broad collective impact model involving representatives from government ministries, academia, high-tech companies, venture capital funds, civil society organizations, and workforce training entities.
The call for proposals is intended to support the initiative’s long-term goals of achieving gender equality in high-tech employment, R&D roles, leadership positions, and salary levels by 2040.