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 April 16, 2021
Posted on April 16, 2021
It would be such a grand thing to invite you all to my garden, to talk about world events, share a glass of rose & some fresh asparagus, and fortify ourselves for the work ahead. So many stories in the news and in our everyday lives revolve around power - the power we have, the lack of power that so many experience, and the untapped power that we must find to build a future where power is shared and is grounded in justice and equality. As if on cue, the Council of Foreign Relations released their updated Women's Power Index this week and, according to their metrics, women's power has increased in countries including the United States, Belgium, and Lithuania and twenty two countries now have a woman head of state (as was true in 2019) but overall women's power has grown very little:
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