In honor of International Women’s Day on Saturday, Maccabiah 2025 reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring equal representation of women and men at the Games and to promoting women in Jewish and international sports.
Over the years, there has been a significant rise in the number of female participants, and this trend is expected to continue at upcoming games – while only 475 women participated in 2005, the number peaked at 4,018 in the last Maccabiah (2022).
Currently, 3,214 women are expected to participate in 2025, with numbers likely to rise as registration closes.
Even with the rise in numbers, it is important to note that the percentage of female representation will not necessarily increase due to changes in sports trends.
It is anticipated that there will be significant female representation in sports this summer in disciplines such as gymnastics, beach volleyball, and indoor volleyball, which have a female majority. Sports like handball and beach tennis are expected to achieve gender equality.
Sports such as netball and field hockey will be exclusively for women, and football (soccer), traditionally seen as a male sport, will feature over 250 female players from around the world—a record in Maccabiah history.
'Clear goal of gender equality'
“The Maccabiah has set a clear goal of gender equality, which is already evident in various areas: in the sports themselves, in the composition of the organizing committee, and in strategic decision-making,” explained Merav Olejnik, Chairperson of the Sports Division of the Maccabiah and a member of the Women’s Forum of the Maccabi World Union.
“A significant portion of the organization’s staff is composed of women, marking a fundamental change that impacts all areas of Maccabiah - from sports to ceremonies and education. The big event that the Jewish people will celebrate this summer will be led by women - on the courts, behind the scenes, and at the decision-making level,” she added.
This change is also reflected in new regulations for the upcoming Maccabiah. For the first time, it was decided to allow countries other than Israel to send two teams to nine selected sports, a move designed to encourage female participation and promote a clear educational message.
Additionally, new categories have been added to expand female participation. Sports like netball, one of the largest at the Maccabiah, and handball, which is returning to the Games after many years, offer more opportunities for women to compete. In basketball, a significant step was taken by expanding the category for women up to the age of 35-plus.
Female representation in Maccabiah opening ceremonies is also on the rise. Over the years, ten women have carried the Maccabiah flag, and seven women have lit the torch, including Judith Deutsch Haspel (1935), Deborah Turner Marcus (1965), Yael Arad (1993), Kerri Strug (1997), Keren Leibovich (2001), Eli Reisman (2013), and Linoy Ashram (2022).
“The stated goal of the Maccabiah is to achieve full gender equality by 2029, and we are working with all our might to make this a reality,” concludes Olejnik.
“The trends of recent years prove that this is possible, and Maccabiah 2025 is a significant step on the way there. We’re seeing real change - more women on the courts, more women in key roles in the organization, and more young girls being inspired to participate.”
Maccabiah 2025 is expected to be the largest and most significant in history, especially following October 7 and the subsequent war. Under the slogan “More Than Ever,” the Maccabiah this year emphasizes the need for unity and strengthening of ties between Jews from around the world.
More than 10,000 athletes from around 80 countries are expected to come to Israel, including about 3,000 from Israel. Together, they will compete in 45 sports, joined by tens of thousands of staff and spectators.
“The road to equality is not yet complete, but we are moving forward with confidence, with increasing female representation and initiatives that continue to change the face of Jewish and international sport,” added Roy Hessing, CEO of the Maccabiah Games.
“This summer, Israel will host one of the most significant events in the history of the Jewish people - it will unite the Jewish people, strengthen society and the economy, and prove that sports are a powerful force for change.”