A conference on women’s wage equality was held on Tuesday at the OpenValley Caesarea complex, in partnership with workplace equality organization “Ovrot v’Shovot.” The conference featured women from leading companies including Microsoft and AmDocs, and hosted around 250 women from across Israel’s high-tech industry.
On the agenda were discussions regarding women’s positions in a changing workplace environment, opening doors in employment for women, and strategies for negotiating for equal pay.
Dana Alexandrovich, deputy CEO and head of marketing and strategic planning at Microsoft Israel, told the conference: “When there is mental diversity, the business results are better.”
She added that “At Microsoft Israel, we currently have a representation of 66% women, but it does not end with representation. It is important that everyone feels significant and that their opinion is heard in order to lead the company in significant directions for our customers and partners in their digital transformation.”
According to the OECD, Israel’s gender wage gap stands at 22.7% as of 2020 – nearly double the global average of 12.5% – coming in second worst place. The topic of how women can reduce the wage gap took center stage at the conference. “We believe that financial independence and security in dealing with money is often the basis for independence in general, both in the home and in the world of work,” said Yael Weiner, the director of Ovrot v’Shovot.
Her group promotes women’s financial independence. It has a Facebook and Instagram community of about 75,000 women, and in recent months has been leading an agenda of wage transparency and the pursuit of equal pay between women and men.
Weiner stated that it is crucial to discuss “what barriers women need to break and what abilities to adopt in order to position themselves higher in the world of employment and demand equal pay.”
The OpenValley network operates to support and promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the north of the country. Said OpenValley’s director, Shiri Green-Elgavish: “We live in a world that is changing faster than ever before, while creating technological changes that affect every front and every sector. In this new reality, it is of immense importance to mediate these changes, especially for women, who are required to adopt up-to-date skills while being able to adopt new work patterns, think creatively, communicate effectively, and be independent.”