האם נפרצה תקרת הכסף? מגדר וייצוג תקשורתי של מנהיגות ענף הבנקאות בישראל

The integration of women in top managerial positions in general, and specifically in the areas of economics and finance, is a long and arduous process. Since the 1980s, the number of women in top management has gradually increased with the appointment of Galia Maor, Smadar Barbar-Tzadik & Zehavit Cohen to their respective positions as CEO and Head Chair of banks and prominent economic institutions. Seemingly, there has been rapid progress over the past five years and women are now successfully climbing to the top in most banks in Israel, in the Bank of Israel itself, and in the mechanisms of governmental regulation for banking, insurance and finance. Does the appointment of these impressive women, who have gained considerable public visibility, mean that “the glass ceiling” has been breached or that the banking and finance sector has become gender neutral? What has changed in the public and professional discourse to allow women to be seen as legitimate and desirable candidates for managing leading institutions in the Israeli economy? Is banking becoming a “feminine profession” with a concomitant dwindling or even plummeting of its associated public prestige?Through synchronic and diachronic analysis of newspaper articles concerning senior bankers over the years, this study analyzes the way in which men and women in banking are presented in public discourse. The study also aims to understand the socio-cultural context in which broader legitimacy has been accorded to the phenomenon of women entering senior management roles in banking. In this study we address how men and women are represented in specific areas, the changes that have occurred in the discourse over time, and the relationship between these forms of representation and the opportunities for more women to enter the strongholds that were once the domain of men. We further discuss the significance and implications of our findings for understanding women's entry into senior management roles in the banking and economic sector.