Israeli Girls Underrepresented in Advanced STEM Studies and High-Tech Careers Despite Equal Ability
In Israel, although boys and girls have nearly equal overall eligibility rates for matriculation exams (76.4% for boys and 76.1% for girls), significantly fewer girls pursue advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. For example, only 15.4% of girls take the five-unit math matriculation exam compared to 19% of boys, and in physics, the gap widens with 5.7% of girls versus 12.5% of boys. Even among girls who take advanced math, most avoid combined high-tech tracks that include computer science or physics, with girls comprising only about 34.5% of five-unit computer science exam takers in 2024.
Experts attribute this disparity not to ability but to opportunity gaps influenced by gender stereotypes, societal expectations, and self-confidence issues. Professor Irit Sasson from the University of Kiryat Shmona highlights that while girls perform similarly to boys in science and math, fewer choose these fields due to social and institutional factors. Women make up roughly 34% of STEM students and workers in Israel, but only 28.4% hold research and development roles, and just 14% of women serve in technologically demanding academic positions in the IDF. Sasson warns that these gaps risk perpetuating economic and social inequalities.
To address this, Sasson recommends early interventions such as inclusive teaching methods, active encouragement of girls in science clubs and advanced classes, mentorship programs, and increased female representation in military tech roles. Students like Yuval Shulman and Esti Rabaib, who study demanding STEM tracks, emphasize the importance of challenging stereotypes and fostering curiosity and resilience.
Ruth Shoham, CEO of the Davidson Institute for Science Education, notes that women hold only 11% of startup CEO positions and receive a small fraction of tech investments. She stresses the strategic need to expand women's participation in Israel’s tech and defense sectors to maintain the country’s technological edge.
The Ministry of Education is working to boost girls’ confidence and participation through workshops, budget incentives for mixed-gender advanced classes, and efforts to reduce dropout rates among girls in five-unit math. However, challenges remain, including societal perceptions and girls’ higher perfectionism leading to dropout after failure. A survey by the Trump Foundation and GeoCartography Institute confirms girls find the high-tech matriculation path more intimidating than boys.
Eli Horowitz, CEO of the Trump Foundation, concludes that achieving true equality requires not only equal exam participation but also balanced representation in military tech units and the Israeli high-tech industry.
