Ihave two sons and a younger daughter. While it was obvious, and almost natural, for both of my sons to choose science topics as their major in high school, and then at university, that was not the case for my daughter. Most of her girlfriends chose subjects like arts and literature, opting to avoid "hard sciences" like math, physics or chemistry.
Today, in her math class at high school, she is the only girl studying advanced math, and one of the few girls that are studying high-level chemistry. I asked myself: how come? Why are so many girls choosing to avoid "hard sciences"? It is definitely not because they are less smart. Might it be because even in 2022 they feel this is what society expects of them?
Feb 11 is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This day was declared by the United Nations in 2015 to promote full and equal access, as well as participation, in science, technology and innovation, of women and girls of all ages. This resolution aims to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls around the world.
As a vibrant and dynamic country, gender equality is another core value of Israel since its independence in 1948. This is evident in the fact that women had the right to vote in Israel from the first day it was established, well before they were able to do so in many other democratic countries. The first parliament of Israel, the Knesset, passed the Women's Equal Rights Law of 1951, guaranteeing the equal status of men and women in the newly established state. That being said, like in many societies, gender equality in the workplace remains a challenge, especially in the field of science and technology, which has been largely male-dominated.
In order to address this challenge, in the year 2000 Israel established the Council for the Advancement of Women in Science and Technology. In 2003, the council filed its first major report, stating that women constituted only 25% of all graduates completing degrees in the hard sciences, 24% of all senior academic staff in Israel's higher-education sector, and 29% of all technology industry workers. Following this report, the Israeli government has devoted resources to implement a concrete action plan to advance women in the fields of science and technology. By 2010, the majority of students studying for a university degree in Israel were women. While a lot of progress has been made, the percentage of women is still decreasing when it comes to advanced studies, and in 2015, women constituted 29% of faculty in public universities and 39% of faculty in private colleges.
Over the years, Israel has developed many programmes both governmental and non-governmental, aiming to promote the education of girls in science and technology. These programmes are implemented through Israeli universities, high schools and the private sector.
Several programmes have further inspired young girls to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Stem). One great example is the "She Space" project, initiated in 2018 specifically to emphasise the contributions of women scientists and research in space science.
Internationally recognised as a startup nation, Israel aims to integrate more women in software development and the high-tech sector. "She codes", founded in 2013, is a community of women in technology, created to reach a goal of 50% women software developers within a decade. The project operates in various activities including programmed courses, tech lectures and meetings with inspirational women.
Of course, government action alone is not enough. Israeli women are also fortunate to have amazing role models such as Prof Ada E Yonath, who in 2009 became the first Israeli woman, as well as the first woman from the Middle East, to win a Nobel prize in science. She is also the first woman in 45 years to win the prize for chemistry.
While we are very proud of the progress our country has made, there is a long way to go. Even more so for many young women around the globe, who have much fewer opportunities. This is not only a battle for women, it is a fight to improve the workforce, and therefore achieve more progress for us all. While gender equality, as well as any other equality, is a goal in itself, the involvement of women in the technological workforce will benefit us all.
Ms Orna Sagiv is Ambassador-Designate of Israel to Thailand. The article marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
