When "the most suitable" are overwhelmingly men, we must ask ourselves a question | Yifat Sela

An opinion column by Yifat Sela examining women's representation in the next Knesset, high-tech, and senior management in Israel. The author argues that a Knesset with a minority of women does not represent society, and analyzes the structural barriers preventing women's advancement, including the "broken rung" in careers and the impact of childbirth on employment trajectory. She calls for setting goals and measurement to change reality.

An opinion column by Yifat Sela, published in Maariv, examines women's representation in centers of power in Israel, focusing on the next Knesset. The author presents data showing that if polls materialize, only 31 women will serve in the Knesset, and compares this to additional data: women constitute 17.6% of senior management positions in private high-tech companies and 10.6% of startup managers, and Israel ranks 91st in the global gender gap index. Sela criticizes the argument that the "most suitable person" should be chosen regardless of gender, arguing that when time after time the "most suitable" are mostly men, one must ask whether only qualifications are truly being measured. She points to the phenomenon of the "broken rung" - women's difficulty in the first promotion to a managerial position, and emphasizes the unique challenge in Israel due to the impact of childbirth on the employment trajectory. The author calls for identifying and promoting women with potential early in their careers, creating training and mentorship tracks, better integration of parenthood and career, and setting goals and measurement. She notes that several parties have managed to field 50% women on their lists, and states that "if you want, you can."