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.
Our Signature Research
Through research and advocacy, RepresentWomen is paving the way for women in American politics to Run, Win, Serve and Lead. To learn more about our signature research, please consult the following:
Get Involved
New from RepresentWomen
Weekend Reading on Women's Representation December 17, 2021
Posted on December 17, 2021
For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed? bell hooks
Read MoreDecember 10 - 2021 Introducing RepresentWomen’s latest International Research on Women’s Representation in Arab States
Posted on December 14, 2021
RepresentWomen has released the latest installment in their international research series, “Women’s Representation: Global Practices & Systems Strategies” exploring what structural strategies are used to increase women’s representation in Arab states.
Read MoreWeekend Reading on Women's Representation December 3, 2021
Posted on December 03, 2021
Those who are concerned about the health of democracy in the United States - which I believe should be all of us - would do well to read this sharp piece by Irune Aguirrezabal about a new social contract based on meeting the needs of women.
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