Women in the Hesse state government
Women in the Hesse state government stood at 3 persons in 2025, according to Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) – Digital Gender Equality Atlas. It is one of the indicators in the Women and men in politics and administration table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2008 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Women and men in politics and administration table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2019 | 2017 | 2015 | 2011 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | |
| Women | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
| Men | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
Understanding women in the Hesse state government
Direct headcounts of female cabinet ministers and executive leadership in the Hesse state government constitute the sole focus of this indicator. The enumeration includes women serving as state ministers or as minister-president who possess confirmed voting authority in the cabinet. Female state secretaries, administrative directors of state authorities, and members of the state parliament without ministerial office are excluded. This series captures the absolute number of female officeholders, distinguishing it from the female percentage row, which adjusts for cabinet size, and from the male headcount series.
Published annually at an official reporting date, the series operates without calendar seasonality. Historical revisions do not occur in routine reporting because executive appointments are public legal acts published upon confirmation. Year-to-year shifts in the series reflect political developments, such as cabinet appointments following state elections or mid-term ministerial resignations. Period comparisons provide a straightforward record of female representation on the ministerial bench, though users should check whether overall cabinet size changed concurrently. Furthermore, this political headcount must not be equated with female employment across the broader Hesse civil service, where different appointment criteria apply.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include female state secretaries serving in Hesse ministries?
- No, the series is restricted to cabinet-level ministers and the head of government, excluding state secretaries.
- How does a mid-term cabinet reshuffle affect this series?
- If a reshuffle alters the number of women holding ministerial portfolios before the annual reporting date, the recorded count adjusts accordingly.
- What is the main difference between this series and the female share row for Hesse?
- This series tracks the exact number of female ministers, whereas the share row calculates their proportion relative to all cabinet members.