Labour10/14/2026

One Female Director General for 31 Ministries: High Court of Justice Rules There Was a Violation

Only one woman—Daganit Sankar-Langa—serves among the directors general of the current Israeli government’s 31 ministries. As early as February 2025, the High Court of Justice ruled that the government had violated the obligation established by the legislature to ensure appropriate representation for women.

Key facts

•31 ministries and one female director general
•High Court of Justice ruling: February 2025
•Proportion of female directors general: 0%–5%
•Previous government: nearly 40%
•The case number is not specified in the source

How the Dispute Arose

In 2023, women’s organizations petitioned the High Court of Justice over the excessively low number of women in senior civil service positions. By that time, only two women had been appointed to such positions, and even then only on a temporary basis and for short periods. The case number and the names of the organizations are not specified in the source.

What the High Court of Justice Ruled

In February 2025, the High Court of Justice ruled that the government had violated the statutory requirement for appropriate representation of women. The court ordered the state to institute rules that would ensure compliance with the requirement in appointments to positions of trust and positions exempt from competitive tender as well. According to Ynet, the government implemented the ruling slowly.

The Situation in Government Ministries

The current government has 31 ministries, and the proportion of women among their directors general ranged from 0% to 5% over four years—the lowest figure in at least 20 years. In May, Daganit Sankar-Langa became the only female director general after she was appointed to head the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration. By comparison, under the previous “Government of Change,” the proportion of women in these positions approached 40%.

The Broader Context

According to a World Economic Forum report cited in the publication, Israel ranks 71st out of 145 countries in the overall gender equality index and 93rd in the representation of women in centers of political influence. Six women served as ministers in the current government, compared with nine in the previous government, while the number of female Knesset members in the current Knesset fell from a previous record of 45 to 33.

What this means for you

The ruling confirms that the obligation to ensure appropriate representation for women applies not only to appointments made through competitive tenders, but also to positions of trust and positions exempt from competitive tender. For candidates for senior civil service positions, this means that the authorities must take gender representation into account and apply the appropriate rules when making appointments. The source does not provide information about individual remedies or compensation for specific candidates.

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Case analysis based on court rulings