WePower

WePower, known in Hebrew as עמותת כ"ן (Koach Nashim – Women's Power for the Advancement of Women's Leadership in Israel), is an Israeli apolitical, registered nonprofit organization established in 2000. Its mission is to achieve equal representation of women and men around decision-making tables, with a particular emphasis on the public and political spheres. The organization describes itself as the first nonprofit in Israel whose main activity is promoting women to positions of influence in the public and political arena, aiming to advance gender equality across all levels of Israeli society. Since its founding, WePower has worked with thousands of women, many of whom have gone on to assume political leadership positions at the community, municipal, and national levels. The organization operates nationwide in cooperation with government ministries, local government centers, academic institutions, municipalities, and partners from the civil society and business sectors. Its activities center on identifying and empowering potential women leaders, preparing them for leadership roles through training, promoting gender-aware legislation to remove barriers, and raising gender equality as a foundation for a better society on the public agenda. WePower offers a wide range of knowledge and tools through courses, lectures, workshops, conferences, and individual consultations. It encourages women to become involved in public and political life in their communities, aiming to achieve an equal distribution of budgets and resources between the needs of women and men. The organization also operates a Legal Forum for the Advancement of Gender Equality, a think-and-do tank composed of lawyers, researchers, and professionals working to create legislative proposals and regulatory initiatives for long-term structural change. WePower has set the goal of 50:50 representation by 2030, a target defined by the United Nations and adopted as a national goal for representation equality. The organization works on three main levels: raising public awareness of the gender gap, providing professional tools for women, and advancing legislation and advocacy. It has been recognized as a vision partner by the Hadassah Foundation and launched an accelerator project at the UN in New York in 2023.

WePower (עמותת כ"ן – Koach Nashim) was established in 2000 by Michal Yudin, Dr. Orit Rishfi, and other women. It is an apolitical, registered nonprofit organization operating in Israel. From its inception, the organization focused on promoting women to decision-making centers in Israel, with an emphasis on the public and political arenas. It describes itself as the first nonprofit in Israel whose main activity is advancing women to positions of influence in the public and political sphere. In 2003, WePower launched the DEBATE project, which taught debate tools and scholarly discourse on gender issues in hundreds of schools, including a peak event with the President of Israel. The program was adopted by the Ministry of Education. In 2010, the organization proposed Amendment 16 to the Companies Law for proper representation of women on the boards of public companies. In 2017, WePower was appointed as an advisory body to the UN. In 2018, it proposed a party financing law to encourage equal representation, and led a coalition of organizations ahead of municipal elections, resulting in a tenfold increase in the number of women council members. In 2020, during its 20th anniversary celebrations, WePower awarded the Gender Award to authorities with gender equality. In 2022, it received vision partnership status from the Hadassah Foundation. In 2023, it launched its accelerator project at the UN in New York. The organization has set a goal of 30 female heads of local authorities and 1,000 female council members in the 2013 municipal elections; in practice, only six women were elected to head local authorities. Key achievements include: 37% of graduates of leadership training programs actively participated in the 2013 local elections; for the first time, 40 women ran for mayor; and in authorities where WePower's training program took place, the rate of female council members increased by 65% or more compared to the national average of 30%. Many members of Knesset, city heads, council members, and senior public sector officials in Israel are graduates of WePower's training courses and participate in its activities. The organization's advocacy actions have yielded many achievements over the years, such as promoting the Directors Law, promoting legislation to improve the number of female council members in Israel and improve their conditions, and promoting government and ministry decisions on gender equality. In 2016, WePower presented the Gender Index in Local Government, which also noted cities whose leaders and elected officials are committed to a continuous process of implementing and promoting gender equality in their city, and which achieved gender equality in one of three areas: women in senior statutory positions, women on boards of municipal corporations, and elected council members. In 2016, WePower developed a "Gender-Aware Management" program for implementing gender equality in local authorities and organizations, and delivers lectures, seminars, and workshops on the subject. In 2025, WePower established the "Legal Forum" to promote gender equality issues through legal, regulatory, and public tools. The Forum brings together lawyers, experts in law, government, and public policy, and works to advance legislation, formulate position papers, accompany public moves, and raise awareness of the legal aspects of equal representation of women in decision-making centers. The Forum's activities are conducted vis-à-vis the Knesset, local government, government ministries, and public organizations. WePower initiated the establishment of an accelerator to promote the goal of equal representation of women and men in decision-making centers by 2030. The "Acceleration Program" operates in cooperation with factors from the public, business, social, and academic sectors, alongside entrepreneurs and innovators from Israel and around the world, to develop new solutions and tools for promoting gender equality. Within the accelerator, a think tank is established, a multi-year work plan is built, and practical initiatives in the field of gender equality are promoted as part of the organization's public and educational activities. WePower also works to promote measurement, transparency, and the implementation of gender thinking in local authorities and public organizations. The organization awards the "Gender Award" annually, a certificate of appreciation to local authorities, organizations, and projects that work exceptionally to promote gender equality in Israeli society. In 2016, the organization conducted a six-month study on the status of women in senior positions in local authorities. The data examined included: the proportion of female council members; the proportion of women in senior statutory positions (CEO, treasurer, legal advisor, engineer, auditor, and head of education department); the proportion of women on boards of municipal corporations and the proportion of female CEOs in municipal corporations. The data were presented at the Local Government Conference, and the results were published in January 2017. On Women's Day 2017, the organization awarded certificates of appreciation to leading authorities in gender equality according to the study results.

• 2025

  Established the Legal Forum for the Advancement of Gender Equality

• 2023

  Launched the Accelerator project at the UN in New York

• 2022

  Received vision partnership status from the Hadassah Foundation

• 2020

  Awarded the Gender Award to authorities with gender equality during 20th anniversary celebrations

• 2018

  Proposed party financing law to encourage equal representation; led coalition of organizations ahead of municipal elections, number of female council members increased tenfold

• 2017

  Appointed as an advisory body to the UN; published results of six-month study on women in senior positions in local authorities

• 2016

  Presented the Gender Index in Local Government; developed 'Gender-Aware Management' program

• 2013

  Municipal elections: goal of 30 female heads of local authorities and 1,000 female council members; only six women elected to head local authorities

• 2010

  Proposed Amendment 16 to the Companies Law for proper representation of women on boards of public companies

• 2003

  DEBATE project launched, teaching debate tools on gender issues in hundreds of schools; adopted by the Ministry of Education

• 2000

  Establishment of the association

Apolitical nonprofit advancing women's representation in decision-making positions in Israel, with a focus on public and political spheres.

• Leadership training courses and programs

  Courses, lectures, workshops, conferences, and individual consultations to prepare women for leadership positions.

• Gender-Aware Management program

  Program for implementing gender equality in local authorities and organizations.

• Gender Index in Local Government

  Index measuring gender equality in local authorities, presented in 2016.

• Legal Forum for the Advancement of Gender Equality

  Think-and-do tank of lawyers, researchers, and professionals working on legislative proposals and regulatory initiatives.

• Accelerator for gender equality

  Program to develop new solutions and tools for promoting gender equality, launched at the UN in 2023.

1. 1We Powerken.org.il
2. 2אודות – We Powerken.org.il
3. 3About Us – We Powerken.org.il
4. 4WePowerwikidata.org
5. 5עמותת כ"ן - כוח נשים לקידום מנהיגות נשים בישראלhe.wikipedia.org