The Authority for the Advancement of Women in the Social Equality Ministry held a first-of-its kind zoom meeting on Wednesday to establish a database of 2,000 women eligible for senior positions in the public sector and public administration, according to a press release from the ministry.
Likewise, the database will be used for applications in public committees and various forums such as conferences on various topics.The Authority is seeking to launch the database at the beginning of the new year, and includes women who have meet specific qualifications, such as seven years of experience in the field of expertise, five years of senior management (rank of VP or management of 50 staff or management of NIS 30 million per year), PhD, other relevant academic degree, rank of Lt. Col. (or equivalent) and above, 10 years of experience in the fields of sports and culture.
The press release also noted that almost 300 women registered in a single meeting, where the Authority spoke of its activities and answered the questions and concerns of the participants being included in the database.
The Director-General of the Authority for the Advancement of Women Eva Madjibouz said in response to the announcement that "In recent years we have repeatedly called for candidates for every senior public position that becomes vacant and now we have a permanent pool of potential names for every position, every board, every public committee and also to any panel at a conference or TV studio."
"A female presence is not a fig leaf, but a substantive, value-based and even educational matter. There is no reason that in senior management positions there should not be complete equality between men and women. The Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women has taken it upon itself to lead the change, and through the established database we will make more talented and experienced women reach the forefront of the stage," she added.
Oshra Friedman, Deputy Director of the Authority for the Advancement of Women and Commissioner of the database said that "The purpose of the database is twofold. The place of women from population groups that are hardly represented at all. Haredi and Arab women, women from the Ethiopian community and the former Soviet Union community, older women and women from the socioeconomic periphery to speak up and increase their voice and representation in positions of power and influence they deserve."
The Authority noted that current data indicates a degree of inequality in positions of authority.
According to a OECD report, Israel is below average when it comes to representing women in key positions and boards of directors, with 18.1% representation compared to an average of 20% among the member countries of the organization, which was reviewed by the international consulting firm Deloitte.