Women's Representation in Israeli Government Ministries Hits 20-Year Low

The current Israeli government has appointed no women as directors-general of government ministries since its inception, marking a significant decline in female leadership within the public sector. Currently, only three out of 31 ministries are headed by women, a stark contrast to the previous government where 11 out of 30 ministries had female directors-general. This trend represents the lowest number of female directors-general in at least two decades.

Despite women constituting 64% of all civil service employees, they hold only 9% of the highest-ranking positions. While women comprise nearly half of senior staff (46%), their representation drastically decreases at higher levels: 49% at the lowest senior level, 29% at the mid-level, and only 9% at the top tier. This indicates a bottleneck in promotion pathways rather than a lack of qualified female candidates within the public service itself.

The appointment of a ministry director-general is a personal choice by the minister, exempt from competitive tenders. In the previous government, women held approximately 39% of these top positions. Since the current government took office, only one woman has been appointed director-general, and two others are acting directors-general. The number of female deputy directors-general and equivalent positions has also dropped significantly.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been singled out for systematically avoiding the appointment of women to senior roles. Over three years, he appointed nine men and no women to senior positions within the Finance Ministry, stating, "I interviewed women and did not find" suitable candidates. This claim was disputed by advisory committees, which found female candidates equally or more qualified.

Legal frameworks, including the Civil Service Law and the Equal Rights for Women Law, mandate "appropriate representation" for both genders in public service. Recent High Court rulings have reinforced the government's active duty to seek out and appoint qualified women to senior roles, including director-general positions. However, the effectiveness of these regulations depends on enforcement and the willingness of officials to comply.