Women and Politics

This post was submitted by Jean Qiao, WCF Communications Fellow

It’s no secret that women decide to run for office at substantially lower rates than men. The keyword here is “decide.”

Men can wake up in the morning and decide that they want to run for public office and immediately get on the campaign trail without any further worries. Women on the other hand tend to have obligations such as taking care of the family and children, which prevents them from making the decision to run.

And the results of this political ambition gap can be seen easily when looking at how many women currently serve in public office. A recent study done by Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics showed that in the 2008 election, women made up 54% of the vote; however, only 24% of State Legislators are women.  Furthermore, the amount of women in state legislatures has leveled off in the past few decades.

The entire study, including in-depth explanation on the five main points can be found here.

The study has five main points, which explain why women are less likely to run for office and must be asked multiple times before they embark on the campaign trail. Research has shown that women often won’t even consider running for office unless they’re asked.

• Women need to be encouraged to run for office — and are more likely than men to run for office because they were recruited rather than deciding to run on their own
• Women candidates need to attract support from political parties; those who reach the Legislature usually do so with party support
• Organizations are encouraging women to run for office, but they could be more active in candidate recruitment
• The pool of women candidates is larger than commonly believed
• More funding and training can help women win

Enter She Should Run. This unique program addresses the gender inequality at its root: The decision to run for office. In order to achieve equality for women in public office, we have to ensure that more women across the country are even thinking of running for office. And we need everyone involved in this effort.

Do you know a phenomenal woman who has the ability to make a difference in the political arena? Help us bridge the enormous gender gap in elected office and ask a woman you know to run for office today. Studies show that when women run for office, they win and lose just as much as men do.

Only with equal representation in the state and federal office can women truly have their voices heard. In a time where women’s reproductive health legislation is in the hands of our elected officials, there is no better time for women to run for office.

Ask a woman to run for office today. It could be the best question you will ever ask.

Tags: Equality in public life, she should run, Women and Politics