“I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat”  -Rebecca West, author

"Addressing the lack of equal representation in government through changing recruiting practices and improving our electoral systems would ensure that future generations have women leaders to look up to. I hope the work I do this fall at RepresentWomen ensures that one day all women will have a seat at the table."

"Working for RepresentWomen is important to me because their mission is concrete: increase the representation of women in politics while focusing on systems of reform; because no one can say, even though some may, that the underrepresentation of women in politics does not exist."

Chile is the country with the highest GDP per capita and Human Development Index in South America, yet it was one of the last countries to enact a gender quota law in the region. Though higher levels of economic development should be paired with greater gender parity, the reality is that Chile ranks 84th in the world in terms of the percentage of women in Congress, with just 23 percent in the Lower and Upper Houses.

"Moneda"by TheFutureIsUnwritten is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

"Rally at US Sen 0197 Senator Elizabeth Warren" by mdfriendofhillary is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
"U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris speaks at L.A.'s Families Belong Together March" by lukeharold is licensed under CC CC0 1.0

Less than three years after the 2016 presidential election, a pattern is already emerging. Once again, we’re seeing intelligent, qualified women candidates being snubbed by voters who can’t seem to wrap their heads around the idea that a woman can be president.

In his recent opinion piece in The Washington Post, Robert J. Samuelson claims that though the 2020 Democratic candidates were “articulate,” “intelligent,” and “ambitious … without seeming too egotistical or ruthless,” none of them “seemed ‘presidential.’” But if not intelligence and ambition, what makes a candidate seem presidential? There are many answers, but the one that stands out in a presidential election cycle with a historical number of women candidates is gender. 

At a time when political tensions are high and the number of women in elected office is low, I asked Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, the hosts of the podcast Pantsuit Politics, for their takes on how partisanship and women’s representation influence one another. With Holland on the left side of the political spectrum and Silvers on the right, the show features what their website calls, “grace-filled political conversations.” Since Holland and Silvers have been talking politics (politely) on the air since November 2015, they seemed like the perfect people to ask about where our society’s political conversations are taking us in terms of women’s representation.

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The RepresentWomen team met with a group of politically engaged women from Indonesia this week. They were visiting the United States as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, which connects current and aspiring politicians abroad with their American counterparts. We were happy to sit down with these women to discuss women’s political participation and representation in our respective countries.

"UK offered Nissan $100 million to ease its Brexit fears" by Tiocfaidh ár lá 1916 is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Love her or hate her, today Theresa May tendered her resignation to the Queen and stepped down as U.K. Prime Minister. With net favorability ratings in the U.K. lower than U.S. President Donald Trump, many people will celebrate her departure. But as a strong advocate for gender parity in the Conservative Party and a female head of government when the world is short quite a few, she should be missed.

One hundred seventy-one years ago, hundreds of people convened in Seneca Falls, New York on July 19, 1848 for the first American women’s rights convention that would eventually spark the suffrage movement in the United States. Approaching the 171st anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, let’s assess how far we’ve come.

It will take a long time before there are enough Kate McKinnons, Mindy Kalings, Samantha Bees, or Maya Rudolphs to convince people that women are funny. That’s why the Emmys have gender categories. 

The “Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series” category for the Emmys is an absolute powerhouse. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Rachel Brosnahan, Natasha Lyonne, and more are up for the award. The “Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series” category is looking pretty good too, with Kate McKinnon, Olivia Coleman, and others in the running. 

Gender categories or not, these women are undeniably funny, and the gender categories are what allow them to be recognized for their humor and wit. Without them, these women could easily be buried by industry challenges created and exacerbated by sexism.