Gender equality is a necessary condition for the existence of a thriving, diverse, and democratic Israeli society. As such, it is a paramount social interest for women and men alike.

Israel has a long way to go to achieve this goal. In the past year, Israel was ranked last in gender equality compared to OECD countries and dropped from 60th to 83rd in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, which examines gender equality across the key dimensions of Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Political Empowerment.

Gender equality is of national interest and is not a goal to be achieved by women alone. It forms the moral and social basis for the existence of a healthy, ethical and thriving society. Many studies, including those carried out in Israel, have time and time again demonstrated flaws in public policy design when the female perspective is missing from the decision-making table. A lack of examples of gender equality and a lack of women in key roles continue to deepen the disparity in the education and values that we impart to our sons and daughters.

Meanwhile, studies show that proactivity and gender diversity have proven themselves in terms of allowing a more intensive examination of difficulties and challenges from different perspectives, allowing diverse, creative thinking, and forming a more reliable image of reality. Moreover, the events of October 7th and the war that erupted in their aftermath, along with the absence of women from decision-making centers, threaten to set back the status and achievements of women by many years, in terms of personal security, safety, politics and the economy. In view of this situation, the Foundation wishes to create an infrastructure and provide resources efficiently and flexibly to support and encourage problem-solving activities and projects within the key areas that constitute barriers and in order to create a supportive and equal environment that promotes growth.