Jasmine news

Special coverage: The story of how Jasmine’s “Izun” program had become the national model for integrating women into powerful positions in the local economy

 About the vision and the resolution to qualify and train women to serve in the country’s most influential decision-making positions, as well as promote and endorse them to get there;About the exclusive model featured by Jasmine’s own prestigious program – “Izun” [in Hebrew: Balance];About the adaptation of the program to the Corona crisis; andThe inspiring success story of one of the program’s graduatesA behind-the-scenes glimpse, just before launching the fourth class. 

The fourth class of the prestigious “Izun” program is on its way: “Izun” is based on a unique model created by the Jasmine Association for training and integrating women  into boards of directors in leading companies and organizations in the local economy, as part of the vision to form an influential female economic and social leadership in Israel. This is the only program in the country that is accompanied by mentors, who hold senior positions in the Israeli economy.

“We decided to open the fourth class despite the Corona crisis, realizing that especially in dire straits like the one we are currently experiencing, women are under-represented in the decision-making circles”, says Kiram Baloum, CEO and founder of “Jasmine”, who recruited prominent women’s organizations in Israel to support the program, amongst which are the “Supersonas” association, the “WePower” foundation, the Women’s Lobby, Directors Leading Change and a core group of tremendous women who serve in top-notch board positions. Baloum also notes that: “In this year’s “Izun” program – we want to “crack” the challenge of entering the position of a ‘director’, and we have modified the program accordingly, making it more practicable and applicable, adding more hands-on knowledge, thus advancing the earnest participants towards fulfilling their dreams in the shortest possible way. We have adapted the program to the ever-changing needs of the market so that as of the third meeting, each participant enjoys will have the privilege to receive personal mentorship from a woman-director, who shall provide guidance in developing and implementing her promotion track, aiming for results and successful integration of women at the top of the economic and social leadership.

” At “Jasmine”, they talk in the language of “Results” and “Success”, and for a good reason too. To date, three out of five “Izun” classes had taken place, releasing into the world 70 women who successfully graduated the program. Of these women, 42% are already serving in senior positions and as directors in social, educational, municipal, private, public and governmental organizations. Dozens of women had registered to the fourth class, all of whom are educated, experienced women, equipped with managerial knowledge and an ambition to integrate into influential positions in the local economy.

Adv. Efrat Shoham Hildesheimer, a public entrepreneur promoting social leadership and innovation and an expert in corporate governance, who serves as an academic advisor and head lecturer at “Izun” notes that: “The program is based on the premise that the significant barrier preventing woman from serving as directors is the entrance-barrier, as opposed to the qualification barrier. The program seeks to address the challenge of entering positions and to provide a solution to the aforementioned barrier women face in all matters related to the integration into the “Board of Directors world”. Accordingly, in addition to imparting knowledge relevant to the worlds of content involved in the director’s work – legal, accounting, financial, and managerial – the program also provides the set of tools, skills, and crafts required for entering the position of a Director, emphasizing the applicable aspect, including mentoring by an experienced women-director throughout the entire program”.

The Izun” program is held in collaboration with community investors, the “Bereshit Foundation”, the Miami Jewish Federation, the “Hadassah” Foundation and the Phoenix Jewish Federation, the “Supersonas” organization, Directors Leading Change, and the Women’s Lobby in Israel. The program is accompanied by directors and senior officials in the economy, including Riki Granot and Orit Stav, Tzipa Carmon, Ossi Hillel, Dalia Lev, Tami Angel, Ronit Bodo, Dorit Inbar, Roni Ross, Esther Lebanon and more, who provide knowledge and applicable ideas for paving the promotion track with the participants. The fourth class will be launched on September 8, 2020.