Women remain a minority in the Israeli Space Industry, a report released last month has revealed.
The report by SpaceIL and The Parasol Foundation, led by Inbal Orpaz and Avi Blasberger, states that less than a quarter of space industry employees are women, of which less than 10% are in engineering roles.
Only two out of 49 Israeli start-up CEOs in the space field are women, and only eight of those founded between 2004 and 2023 have a female co-founder. Women make up roughly 10% of management positions in space-related companies, and some have no women in management roles at all.
Around a third of students in space-related fields are women. This number has increased by 54% over the past five years, mirroring patterns observed across the hi-tech industry.
Academic choices in high school appear to be dictating the career paths of students. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), less than a third of high school girls who graduate with STEM-related Bagrut certificates go on to study for STEM degrees, compared to half of the boys.
Gender gap
Despite the fact that girls make up more than half of students taking five-unit matriculation exams (bagrut), they only make up 40% of physics students and 36% of those studying computer science. It is believed that the gender gap within the space industry is partially related to these disparities among high school students in key subjects linked to the industry.
“Achieving gender equality in the Israeli space ecosystem begins with encouraging more girls and young women to pursue science and technology studies,” according to Orpaz, researcher and founder of the Woman in Tech initiative. “To make this a reality, it’s crucial to engage their entire environment – educators, parents, and everyone who plays a role in shaping their choices.”
These challenges are not unique to Israel alone. According to figures released by the UN in 2021, women only make up around 20% of the international space industry, which is about the same proportion as it was 30 years ago.
Ruth Monicka Parasol, principal benefactor at the Parasol Foundation Trust stated, “Thirty years without major change is too long. We are proud of the growing band of talented women we have supported around the world to study STEM subjects. But it needs everyone to take on the recommendations in this report so that there are more opportunities at every stage – women belong in the space sector.”
The report recommends that girls should be further encouraged to pursue STEM subjects and exposed to possible career opportunities. Within space companies, it is recommended that gender diversity be promoted through training programs and policies to support women.
Shimon Sarid, CEO of SpaceIL said, “Together with the Parasol Foundation, we are making strides to leave a significant footprint for women in the space field and encourage the next generation of women to pursue careers in Israel’s space programs. Two years ago, we recruited female engineering graduates to participate in the development of the Beresheet2 spacecraft, and we awarded research scholarships for advanced degrees in space. This research is another important step in our shared vision.”
This year, the Parasol Foundation launched a new educational program for middle and high school students to learn more about space engineering. Sarid said that “by offering diverse learning experiences, we can inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to think big, innovate, and reach for the stars.”