Women and Politics

This post was submitted by Jamie Bence, one of WCF’s Summer 2009 Fellows.

Here’s a job opportunity with plenty of openings, even in the ailing economy: Women are needed to run for office.

In Iowa, the Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge has made news in recent days with her calls for more women to enter public service.  She has asked women to serve locally and get involved in their communities (as many of WCF’s newly endorsed candidates are doing).

“I’ve always believed that when women are part of a discussion, the discussion is better,” Judge told the Quad City Times.

In Boston, women are taking a stand against male-dominated city and state politics.  They are fighting hard against the stereotype than women must “man up,” or be tough-as-nails to be successful in public life, instead taking the approach which feels best for them:

Women don’t have to look like Farrah Fawcett to get elected and they don’t have to look like Roseanne either. I support candidates who can make a difference, who are qualified for the job and whom I agree with on the issues.

Only one women (Ayanna Pressley) is currently running for Boston City Council, and one of America’s oldest cities has yet to have even one female mayor!

In the burgeoning city of Omaha, things aren’t much better.  When Jean Stothert was recently elected to the city council, she broke a 12 year streak of all-male members, becoming just the sixth woman to serve since the council was chartered.

Across the country, the GOP is facing a serious crisis in its number of women in state legislatures.  Some within the party have expressed concern that this gap will cause a serious lapse of women on the national party stage, since state legislatures are where they typically are trained.  Out of 50 states, there are just six female governors as of this week.  And Congress is just 17% female.

Clearly, gender parity in public office is not an isolated issue.  It is not limited to federal candidates, any geographic area or political party.

Do you or does someone you know need a little inspiration?  Check out She Should Run, WCF’s award-winning program which encourages women to run for office.

This post was submitted by Jamie Bence, one of WCF’s Summer 2009 Fellows.

Though we may not agree with Sarah Palin’s policies, her resignation draws attention to the frighteningly low number of female governors in the United States.  Out of fifty governors mansions across the country, just seven are occupied by women.  On July 23, when Palin’s resignation becomes official, that number will drop to six.

The all-time high for female governors was nine, when Palin was inaugurated in December 2006.  However, that peak lasted just over a year, ending when Kathleen Blanco left office as governor of Louisiana  in January 2008.

More than half of all states- 27- have never had a female governor.  That explains why just thirty-one women have served as governor in the United States history.  Once they are in office, they can expect to undergo far more scrutiny than their male counterparts.

Whether or not you support Sarah Palin, its time for those numbers to change.  Do you know a woman who should be in office?  Tell her She Should Run.

This post was submitted by Jamie Bence, one of WCF’s Summer 2009 Fellows.

The National Journal reports this week that the Obama Administration has a larger proportion of women in top positions than any of its predecessors.  Currently, President Obama’s team is 34% female, compared to 26% of President George Bush’s administration in 2001.

The new administration also brings unprecedented racial diversity to the White House.  Only nine of the 22 officials designated by Obama as having Cabinet rank are white men.

Here are a few outstanding women working in the Obama Administration:

• Melody Barnes: She serves as the President’s Domestic Policy advisor and Director of the Domestic Policy Council.  Barnes has been charged with issues relating to health care reform, civil rights and women’s health.
• Cassandra Butts:  As Deputy White House Council, Butts performs a central role in White House Legal Affairs.
• Hillary Clinton: Obama’s former challenger is currently serving as the Secretary of State, the third woman in U.S. history to hold that position.
• Lisa Jackson: As administrator of the EPA, Jackson leads a nationwide staff of just over 18,000 civil servants.  She is the first African American to hold that position.
• Katie Johnson: Just 27 years old, Johnson serves as the president’s personal secretary.  However, what Johnson lacks in age she makes up for in experience, having previously worked for Rahm Emmanuel, Hillary Clinton and Parris Glendening.
• Valerie Jarrett:  She is a Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Obama administration.  Jarrett was also pivotal in the Obama-Biden Transition team.
• Janet Napolitano:  The former Arizona governor serves as the third Secretary of Homeland Security.
• Susan Rice: The US representative to the United Nations was confirmed unanimously by the Senate in the first days of the Obama Administration.
• Desirée Rogers: A former Chicago business tycoon, Rogers has taken on the East Wing.
• Mona Sutphen: The White House Deputy Chief of Staff is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Despite the Obama Administration’s commitment to gender equality, women have still not reached parity in the White House.  At the current rate of increase, it will take almost 100 years until women reach gender parity in politics.  At WCF, we can’t wait that long.  Can you?

Ladies: A couple questions for you.

How much do you give to charity every year - a certain percentage of your income? Depends on the cause?

Now, how much do you give to candidates every year? How about just women candidates?

A pretty stark difference, eh? The recently updated Vote With Your Purse research from our sister organization, WCF Foundation shows that women contribute far less to political candidates than men. They give to causes and charity, but not politically:

Despite casting nearly eight million more votes than men, women’s contributions accounted for only 31% of total donations to candidates, PACs and party committees in the 2008 cycle.

And when we do give politically, we give significantly less to women candidates than men. What gives?

In 2008, women gave $381 million more in political contributions than in 2006, however, only 35% of these contributions were to women candidates.

If you’re asking: So what’s the big deal? Who cares how much women give to candidates and who they give to? Here’s your answer:

In 2008, if women had increased their giving by just 22%, this would have represented an additional $40 million for congressional candidates of both genders or $13.8 million for women candidates specifically.

Women give to causes they believe in, but don’t tend to connect those issues to the candidates they vote for. However, sometimes helping to elect a candidate who supports your issue (i.e., reproductive justice) can be the best way to make progress.

We all know the unfortunate truth about politics in this country: No money = no winning. As Sam Bennett said:

“The effect is clear: women candidates are being outraised and outspent. Money in politics is perpetuating the gender divide in public office.”

In order to achieve parity for women in public office and advance the issues of importance to us and the nation, we must open up our wallets and vote with our purses.

Read the Vote With Your Purse 2009 update release here or download the full report.

Where did May go? How is it almost over? I can’t believe that TOMORROW, the 19th, is the special election for Dr. Judy Chu.

Judy is running for Congress in CA’s 32nd district to fill the seat left when President Obama nominated Hilda Solis as the Secretary of Labor. Many women’s organizations, including WCF, have endorsed Judy, because she’s a strong candidate with a record of protecting reproductive justice.

WomenCount caught up with Dr. Chu and talked to her about women running for office. Judy said that although women are supporting each other more and more, the “Old Boys” club is still alive and well:

When my local Assembly seat opened up in 2001, I decided to run. But the Old Boy’s Network wanted a male, and they put all their resources into backing him and putting up roadblocks for me. But then there was a turning point in the race. It was when Congresswoman Hilda Solis decided to support me. Her support provided the critical boost that I needed to win.

As WCF knows all too well, running for office isn’t a common career goal for young women. Most of the time, it’s not even on the radar. Dr. Chu tells MOMocrats that it was her activism on issues like women’s rights that inspired her to build on her momentum and run for office.

I realized that it was possible for me to be a community activist too, and to be a leader in changing people’s lives for the better. I joined the movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment for women, and then taught classes at UCLA on Asian American Women.

Though she thinks she’s the best candidate for the job, Dr. Chu also told WomenCount how important it is for women to achieve parity in public office:

The fact that we represent only 17% of Congress is outrageous. I think the more women who serve, the more our interests will be served. Not that there aren’t good progressive men fighting for women’s rights, but we bring a unique perspective that comes with being a daughter, a wife, a mother or a grandmother.

Right on. I love how Dr. Chu is speaking out on the need for women’s equality in public life. It’s truly experienced women like her that inspire women to run for office. I hope CA’s 32nd will go out and support this fabulous candidate, advocate, and women in tomorrow’s special election - Congress needs her.