Adv. Anat Thon-Ashkenazy

Director, Center for Democratic Values and Institutions

Adv. Anat Thon-Ashkenazy is the director of the Center for Values and Democratic Institutions at the Israel Democracy Institute, the country's premier think-and-do tank. The Center is dedicated to fortifying the democratic values and institutions of the State of Israel by strengthening the commitment of Israeli policymakers and opinion shapers to the fundamental tenets of Israeli democracy. This includes efforts to bolster Israeli democracy by working towards completing a constitutional process, strengthening the rule of law, and defending civil rights with a special focus on gender equality.  

Prior to joining IDI, Anat served as the Executive Director of an association for the advancement of women's rights 'Itach-Maaki – Women Lawyers for Social Justice'. In this capacity, she spearheaded national programs that embed gender equality at the national and municipal levels and represented dozens of civil society organizations seeking equal representation in decision-making bodies for women from diverse groups in Israel.

Anat is a recipient of the Prime Minister's Office and Municipality of Rishon Lezion Award for promoting gender equality and was selected as TheMarker's forty promising young people in law. She was a fellow of the Mandel School for Educational Leadership and holds a Master's and a Bachelor's degree in law with honors, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, all from Tel Aviv University.