Not a lack of talent, not a lack of ability - so why is there no woman at the top? | Gideon Alon

Ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset, none of the major parties are headed by a woman. Gideon Alon's column reviews the history of women in senior political positions in Israel, compares to other countries, and wonders why women do not reach top ministerial positions like defense and finance, despite proven talent and ability.

Ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset, none of the major parties are headed by a woman. Gideon Alon reviews the history of women in senior political positions in Israel, noting that Golda Meir remains the only woman to have served as Prime Minister. Tzipi Livni headed Kadima and served as Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Shulamit Aloni headed Meretz and held several ministerial positions. Merav Michaeli headed the Labor Party. Alon compares to other countries like Britain, France, Germany, and the US, where women have reached senior positions. He notes that no woman has ever been appointed Minister of Defense or Minister of Finance, and that since the founding of the state, only 32 women have served as ministers. Possible reasons include women's tendency to devote more time to family matters and the lack of female representation in Haredi parties. However, Alon emphasizes that women have held the most senior public positions in other fields, such as President of the Supreme Court, Attorney General, and Governor of the Bank of Israel. He hopes that in the next government, there will be more women in important positions.