The Challenge
Women make up more than half of the U.S. population, yet the majority of elected and appointed positions in government are held by men.
Political insiders control who gets recruited to run for office, partisanship and winner-take-all voting often determines who wins, and antiquated legislative rules impact who can serve and lead.
The problem isn't just convincing more women candidates to run for office. The problem is there are structural and institutional barriers that limit women's odds of success at every stage of the electoral process.
The Solutions
To advance women's representation and leadership in the United States, we need to complement existing candidate-centric practices with innovative systems strategies.
Electing more women to government will strengthen our democracy by making it more representative, reviving bipartisanship and collaboration, improving policy outcomes, encouraging a new style of leadership, and cultivating trust in our elected bodies.
Women Running
Recruitment targets for political parties so more women run.
Women Winning
Ranked choice voting for executive & legislative offices so more women win.
Women Serving
Modern rules like onsite childcare so more women can serve effectively.
Women Leading
Rankin Chisolm Rule for political appointments & hiring so more women lead.
How You Can Help
Join the work for systems strategies that address the structural barriers women face & enable sustained progress toward gender balance in representation and leadership in the United States.
Electeds
You've been elected to public office, and want to push for reforms
Donors
You want to contribute to allow us to keep doing our work
Allies
You're an allied organization, influencer, or shaping the conversation
Journalists
You're writing about gender parity and systemic reforms
Get Involved
New from RepresentWomen
Weekend Reading on Women's Representation November 27, 2020
Posted on November 27, 2020
I am grateful for the work that you are doing to advance women's representation and for the chance to work with the small but mighty team at RepresentWomen. I know that there are many important causes to support this holiday giving season but I do hope that you will consider a donation to support our research and advocacy to elect more women to office faster! We have lots of fun plans for 2021 - here is a sample of our 2020 projects:
Read MoreWeekend Reading on Women's Representation November 20, 2020
Posted on November 20, 2020
Five years ago, to the day, I started publishing this blog with the goal of amplifying the great work that all of you are doing to advance women's representation and leadership in the United States. Along the way I had the great fortune to meet and share the stories of women's representation advocates from Europe - on a terrific trip to Brussels organized by Brenda Choresi Carter; democracy activists in India & Nepal - via a partnership with the U.S. State Department; and parliamentarians from around the world who gathered for the Inter-Parliamentary Union Summit in Serbia last fall. Each week I try to include timely news about women's representation in the United States, articles about efforts to increase women's representation around the world via institutional strategies like gender quotas & proportional voting systems, the latest research on women's representation & leadership, and events that may be of interest. As always, please send me anything you would like included in the months and years to come.
Read MoreMeet the Team: Sara
Posted on November 17, 2020
Sara Ahmed is a freshman at American University with an intended major in Political Science and Sociology. Being a communications intern at Represent Women has helped her put her passion for gender equality, specifically in the political field, into action. She hopes to work on campaigns where women of color who look like her are running for public office in the future. Sara enjoys trying different places to eat and watching psychological thrillers in her free time.
Read More