As part of L'Oréal Group's commitment to the advancement of women in science and technology, L'Oréal Israel announced this morning, December 26, 2023, the launch of a social program called "Advancing Girls in Science", in partnership with the "Cracking the Glass Ceiling" program from Alliance Israélite Universelle.
The goal of the new program is to raise awareness, create a conceptual change and provide practical tools to encourage the integration and choice of middle and high school girls from the geo-social periphery to engage in scientific and technological fields (STEM) in their studies and adult lives.
The program is based on a global model of the L'Oréal Group for empowering girls and training them to work in science ("For Girls in Science"), and Israel is the first country in which the program is implemented outside of France, with the support of L'Oréal Israel. According to research data published this year by the Central Bureau of Statistics, over the past four decades, the share of women among recipients of bachelor's and master's degrees in STEM fields (36.8% in 2020/21)
It was lower than the proportion of men. This is despite the fact that the share of women among those receiving bachelor's and master's degrees was higher than the share of men in the past two decades (62.4% in 2020/21).
The first cohort of the "Advancing Girls in Science" program will operate in a three-year format for a designated group of 25 girls from eighth grade at Tamar Ariel High School in Netanya. The program will accompany the girls for three years, in grades 8-10, and includes unique training led by the professional team appointed for the project by the AIU - Alliance. L'Oréal Israel's overall support for the program, at this stage, is estimated at NIS 300,000, with the expectation of expanding it to additional classes in the future.
The launch event of the program took place today, December 26, 2023, at L'Oréal Israel's offices in the presence of the participating girls, and in the presence of L'Oréal Israel CEO Eli Sagiv and representatives of the company's management; Hani Mamram, VP Society and Government at AIU, and representatives of the organization, principals and educators from the Tamar Ariel School, representative of the Netanya Municipality and leader of L'Oréal Israel's sustainability team, Liran Kohner.
The event was opened by Eli Sagiv, who emphasized L'Oréal Group's commitment to empowering girls and women and the close connection between the company and its products and science and technology; Dr. Lena Agiv, Director of Regulation and Scientific Department of L'Oréal Israel, shared her personal and professional development trajectory, and finally the participants enjoyed a practical scientific workshop.
Eli Sagiv, CEO of L'Oréal Israel: "On behalf of L'Oréal Israel, I am excited to launch today in Israel the L'Oréal Group's global program "Advancing Girls in Science" in cooperation with Alliance Israélite Universelle, which operates the "Cracking the Glass Ceiling" program. Unfortunately, in Israel there is still a significant gender gap in the choice of science and technology (STEM) subjects in schools and higher education, and this reality must be corrected. As a leading global company, with science and technology at its core and core activity, L'Oréal Group is committed to narrowing these gaps. As part of the L'Oréal for the Future program, the L'Oréal Group works to promote and empower women around the world and in Israel as part of its social agenda through various projects and initiatives, including the L'Oréal Fund for Women to support women entrepreneurs, support for associations working to promote and empower women, and more. I believe and am certain that through the important project of "Advancing Girls in Science", we will help increase the sense of capability and empowerment of girls in Israel to work in science and technology, open a window to a better future among them and contribute to narrowing the existing gender gaps."
Hani Mamram, Deputy Director General of Society and Government, AIU: "For over 160 years, Alliance Israélite Universelle has been promoting women's education. We are happy and excited to work in partnership, together with L'Oréal Israel, to help increase the number of students studying science and technology (STEM) at the Tamar Ariel School, to support girls who persist in their studies and achieve a high-quality matriculation certificate, enabling integration into technological units in the IDF, higher studies, career building and self-fulfillment. The program "Cracking the Glass Ceiling, Alliance Israélite Universelle" is currently active among some 3,500 students in 38 schools across the country Haaretz promotes gender empowerment and educational excellence, based on an overall perception of connections between scholastic achievements and identity processes."