The share of women in middle management roles within the Flemish government rose significantly last year from 44.3% to 47.7%, although the proportion of women in top management decreased from 32.7% to 29.6%.
This information comes from the Flemish government’s latest diversity figures. The government has been striving for more diverse representation for a decade, aiming to better reflect society among its workforce.
Specific targets include having 10% of staff with a foreign background, 3% with a disability or chronic illness, and 40% women in both middle and top management.
The 2025 figures show that two of these targets have been achieved, while progress is being made on the third. Of the approximately 40,000 employees, 14.9% have a foreign background, 2.9% have a disability or chronic illness, and the percentage of women in middle management has risen to 47.7%.
However, the proportion of women in top management remains at 29.6%, far from the 40% target. This marks a three-percentage-point drop compared to 2024. Due to the limited number of top management roles, any changes in appointments can significantly affect the percentage.
Flemish Minister of Public Administration Hilde Crevits (CD&V) considers the success of initiatives encouraging women to apply for leadership positions in middle management and plans to extend these measures to top management roles.
