Women and Politics

This post was submitted by Rebecca Freedholm, WCF Communications Fellow.

Aaron Guerrero from The Daily Caller believes that Republican women candidates may not ultimately have the banner electoral year they had hoped for. Citing the recent primary losses of Karen Handel in Georgia and Jane Norton in Colorado, Guerrero theorizes that some GOP women’s “heavy emphasis on gender” may thwart their endeavors to reach public office.

The surge of Republican women contending for their party’s nomination in this election cycle has led many to deem 2010 “The Year of the GOP Woman.” Indeed, the GOP has seen an impressive increase in the number of female candidates competing in this year’s primary elections: There are 14 female Republicans running for seats in the U.S. Senate and 94 striving for positions in the House (numbers that more than double those from 2008).

Women are vastly underrepresented in all levels of public office, so this recent rise in female political participation is an exciting and encouraging sign of change. Why, then, does Guerrero instruct these GOP women to shy away from “discussions on gender?”

“Other candidates should stick to the formula that has worked for other women within the GOP. Talk up your professional background or unique personal history, portray yourself as a political outsider, and above all else, largely avoid discussions on gender.”

Guerrero fails to recognize that discussions on a female candidate’s personal history, professional background, and identity as a political outsider can never fully exclude “discussions on gender.” As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “There are life experiences a woman has that come from growing up in a woman’s body that men don’t have.”

The fact that women have unique life experiences makes it imperative that we fight to achieve gender parity in our political system. These experiences inform women differently and inevitably drive them to assume different perspectives and modes of leadership. Furthermore, research reveals that women’s unique leadership style has a positive influence on decision-making across many fields.

Our government cannot adequately represent all citizens if it doesn’t include women’s diverse perspectives in its legislative process. Considering the lack of female representation—especially Republican female representation—that our government is currently experiencing, it would seem more apt to instruct women candidates to emphasize discussions on gender rather than to obscure them.

The only examples (and there are only two of them) of campaigns impeded by discussions of gender that Guererro offers are those which focused on stereotypical artifacts of femininity—lipstick, purses, and high heels. And in the case of Jane Norton, the focus on superficial aspects of gender identity was instigated by an appalling sexist comment made by her opponent, who claimed that he was more qualified than Norton because he did not wear high heels.

If women candidates fall short in this year’s election cycle, it may likely be because the majority of Americans fail to realize that gender parity in public office is a substantive issue.

Whether we resort to antiquated stereotypes or apathetically maintain that gender is a non-issue in politics, we are not doing enough to ensure that all American people are adequately represented and served by our political system.

I deeply hope that this record year in women candidacy is only the beginning of women’s increased political participation.

This post was submitted by Ariana Kelly, WCF Endorsed Candidate for Maryland State Delegate

Last Tuesday was the political candidate filing deadline.  We now know there are eleven Democratic candidates running for the open Delegate seat here in Maryland’s District 16.  Two incumbents (Del. Susan Lee and Del. Bill Frick) are also running for re-election, making a total of thirteen candidates for three seats.

Interestingly, I am the only woman in the field competing for the open seat. That’s right, it’s me and ten guys.  Here in Bethesda, this is shocking.  Our community has a tremendous number of well-educated and accomplished women who would make excellent legislators.  That’s why, historically, Montgomery County has been a leader in electing women.

Unfortunately, we are no longer leaders. We have seen a significant decrease in the number of women serving in our House of Delegates in the last eight years years. Delegate Marilyn Goldwater retired after a tremendous career in 2007, the same year Nancy King was appointed to the Senate, leaving her House of Delegates seat. Beloved Delegate Jane Lawton passed away while in office in 2008, and the late Delegate Jean Cryor, a moderate Republican and woman’s rights advocate, was defeated in 2006.

Our Montgomery County House Delegation in Annapolis now has seventeen men and only seven women. In other words our delegation is now only 29% women, down from 46% (11 women) in 2002**.

I have worked in Annapolis, and seen first hand how the scarcity of elected women impacts public policy.  I know women’s voices are needed in the halls of Annapolis, and that’s one of the reasons I decided to run.

No, I don’t think you should support me simply because I am a woman. You should support me because I am a qualified woman, with extensive experience working on the issues that matter to Montgomery County families. I also have strong values, good judgment, coalition building skills, and a track record of fiscal responsibility.

But I do think everyone supporting this campaign, from volunteers to donors and voters, can also be proud that we are working to increase the representation of women in Annapolis. With our success, I hope we will also inspire little girls and grown women to jump into future races so we can rebuild a critical mass of women in Annapolis.

**These numbers do not include Delegate Karen Britto, who was recently appointed to temporarily fill the seat of Delegate Bill Bronrott.  Del. Bronrott stepped down after the legislative session to join the Obama Administration. Delegate Britto is not running for election this fall- I am running for the seat vacated by Del. Bronrott.

Crossposted from Ariana Kelly for Delegate

This post was submitted by Rebecca Freedholm, WCF Communications Fellow

I have to admit that I was startled when I first read the title of Katrin Bennhold’s New York Times article, “Feminism of the Future Relies on Men.” Despite the evocation of the future, I braced myself to see the archaic rhetoric of women’s dependency masked in the guise of Palin-inspired “conservative feminism.”

Fortunately, my defense was unnecessary. Instead of the antiquated discourse I had expected, I received a thought-provoking account of the obstacles to gender equality that still exist in the Western world.

The picture that Bennhold paints of women’s stance today is an accurate one in that it is full of confounding contradictions:

“Women earn more doctorates, but less money. They are overtaking men in the work force, but still do most housework. They make the consumer decisions but run only 3 percent of Fortune 500 companies.”

As a stalwart feminist working for women’s advancement in public office, I find myself constantly confronted with the same message: “We have come so far, and yet we have so far to go.”

Why has gender equity proved so difficult to achieve, especially when women excel in so many areas? How is it that we still have such a long way to go?

The answer is perhaps an obvious one.

“In the Western world, motherhood remains the barrier to gender equality. Until they have children, young women now earn nearly the same as men and climb the career ladder at a similar pace. With the babies often come career breaks, part-time work and a rushed two-shift existence that means sacrificing informal networks like the after hours beer-and-bonding experience often crucial at promotion time.”

Unequal division of labor in the household still thwarts women’s advancement in the workforce. Women get pregnant and have to take time off from work. Women go on maternity leave and have to put their careers on the backburner. Women are responsible for the post-work “second shift” of housework and child rearing.

Where are all the men?

When it comes to household division of labor, women have become content with the status quo. Surely feminists have fought valiantly to change the dynamics of the workplace to better accommodate women’s needs—women have negotiated for adequate maternity leave policies, argued for more flexible hours, and opened up avenues for part-time work or work-from-home opportunities in order to balance their roles in the workplace and the home.

As significant as these steps may be, they have not yet yielded sufficient solutions. Women have already proved that they can enter into the “world of men.” What they need to do now, Bennhold postulates, is concentrate on “pulling men into women’s universe.”

“The only thing that can level the playing field at work is a level playing field at home. And that requires a major shift in public policy and corporate culture.”

Gender equality should apply to all realms, in and out of the office. Moreover, gender equality should be important to all people, men and women alike. The solution, it seems, is to inform men of their role in perpetuating gender inequality, to show men how they can benefit from gender equality, and to ultimately engage men in the feminist movement.

As Joanne Dreyfus claims, “Men have a lot to gain from the rise of women.” Men deserve more time in the home with their families, and if the corporate environment were to accommodate men by including paternity leave policies and more flexible work schedules for all employees, both men and women could benefit from a more manageable work-home balance.

Furthermore, employers need to recognize that accommodating all of their employees will aid the advancement of women in the workplace—something companies can be sure to profit from. Research continues to demonstrate that women’s increased involvement in leadership positions positively influences decision-making processes.

I was, therefore, slightly disturbed by Bennhold’s assertion that “guys are the more effective feminists because other guys are more likely to listen to them” (Is feminism yet another realm where men supposedly exceed women?). This claim implies that it’s not important for women to hold leadership positions because men can more effectively push these policies on their own.

Certainly it is vital to convince men already in power of how gender equality will benefit all people. But men alone cannot accomplish the task at hand any more than women alone can. It is crucial to have men and women participating in leadership roles together, constantly in dialog to create policies that help all people reach their fullest potential.

So yes, we must persuade men that gender equality is worth fighting for. But as we enlist men in our cause, we absolutely cannot cease in our endeavor to achieve equal representation in leadership. If we fail to usher more talented women into leadership roles, gender equality will never be realized and our country will suffer the consequences.

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.