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 August 20, 2021
Posted on August 20, 2021
News of the tragedy unfolding in Haiti, the rise of the Delta variant, and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan dominate the headlines this week but there are a few other stories that have garnered media attention including the resignation of New York governor Andrew Cuomo. I wrote about his successor, lieutenant governor Kathy Hochul, who will become the 1st woman governor of my home state joining a very small club of women who have served as governor - just 2% of all governors, in US history, have been women.
Read MoreWeekend Reading on Women's Representation August 6, 2021
Posted on August 06, 2021
The winners of the Equality Can't Wait Challenge (funded by Melinda French Gates & Mackenzie Scott among others) were announced last week and represent an impressive array of interventions to advance women's equality and equity. The winners include National Domestic Workers Alliance & Caring Across Generations, Ada Developers Academy, Girls Inc, New Mexico Community Capital & Native Women Lead, Free From,and IGNITE. Learn more about the awardees and the additional finalists at Equality Can't Wait. Here is a snippet about each project:
Read MoreWeekend Reading on Women's Representation July 30, 2021
Posted on July 30, 2021
With the onset of the 2021 (or possibly the 2020) Olympic games, I’m honestly not sure which, there is a plethora of stories coming out about the athletes, the competitions and the winners. All of which we can learn from and apply to all walks of life.
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