There are girls, but not enough: why do fewer reach high-tech?

An ynet article exposes a gender gap in STEM studies and high-tech: only 15.4% of girls take five math units versus 19% of boys, and in physics 5.7% versus 12.5%. Women are 34% of high-tech employees and 28.4% in R&D roles. Experts and students call for a perceptual change, early exposure, and female role models.

An ynet article addresses the gender gap in STEM studies and the high-tech world in Israel. The data show that the overall eligibility rate for matriculation is almost identical between boys and girls (76.4% versus 76.1%), but only 15.4% of girls take five math units compared to 19% of boys, and in physics the gap is larger: 5.7% versus 12.5%. In 2024, girls were only about 34.5% of those taking five computer science units. Prof. Irit Sasson from Kiryat Shmona University says it is a 'gap in opportunities' not ability, and cites gender stereotypes, social expectations, and a scarcity of female role models as factors. Women constitute about 34% of high-tech employees in 2025 and only 28.4% in R&D roles. In the IDF, they are 40% of those serving in technological roles without an academic degree, but only 14% in R&D roles. Students like Yuval Shulman and Esti Rabayev speak about stigmas and the importance of exposure and opportunities. Ruth Shoham from the Davidson Institute notes that only 11% of startup CEOs are women. Mirav Zarbiv from the Ministry of Education talks about incentives for classes with 50% girls, but admits that in practice this does not always happen. A Trump Foundation survey shows that 9% of girls describe the track as difficult versus 30% of boys.