In the News
February 15, 2024
This article, published in Utah State TODAY on February 15, 2024, provides an overview of women's status in Utah in 2024 and cites research from RepresentWomen. Read an excerpt below:
Despite a rich heritage of women’s involvement in voting, advocacy and civic engagement, Utah lags behind most states regarding women running for and serving in elected political roles.
For the eighth consecutive year, Utah ranks last in WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality” and ties for 45th place (receiving a D grade) on RepresentWomen’s “Gender Parity Index,” which measures women’s political representation.
To track the progress of Utah women in politics, the Utah State University Utah Women & Leadership Project began reporting on their status in 2014, with updates in 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, and now 2024.
“The reports are intended to help identify if changes have been made,” said Susan Madsen, UWLP founding director. “It is also a call to action for Utah residents and leaders to encourage and support future efforts to diversify voices on Utah’s Capitol Hill and in our cities, towns and counties around the state.”
A summary of female political representation in Utah is below.
U.S. Congress: 16.7% of the Utah delegation to Congress is female, compared to 28.2% nationally. One of Utah’s congressional seats is currently held by a woman — Representative Celeste Maloy. Utah has never elected a woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Read the full article here.
