1. Media Hub
  2. Blog

Weekend Reading on Women's Representation May 20, 2022

By Cynthia Richie Terrell on May 20, 2022

House Speaker Tina Kotek, former House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, and the well-funded unaffiliated candidate, long-time democratic lawmaker Betsy Johnson, Graphic by RepresentWomen
 
Dear women's representation enthusiasts,
I am back in the Bay Area this week meeting with other supporters of proportional voting to discuss strategies to modernize U.S. House elections with ranked choice voting in districts that elect 3 or more people. This systems change, that The New York Times editorial page supports, would simultaneously eliminate gerrymandering, ensure partisan fairness, elect multiple communities of color from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and increase women's representation in the House by at least 40% in the first few election cycles after adoption. RepresentWomen is glad to be at the table for this conversation and to convene a Women's Thought Leader Table in partnership with FairVote to build support for proportional voting among women leaders. 

 

Read more

Weekend Reading on Women's Representation May 6, 2022

By RepresentWomen on May 06, 2022

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world—with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment!

From teammate to teammate, the staff at RepresentWomen will give you our must-reads for women’s representation from this week.

 

Read more

Weekend Reading on Women's Representation April 22, 2022

By Cynthia Richie Terrell on April 22, 2022

Greta Thunberg, painted by Melanie Humble

Dear fans of gender balance in politics, 
The first Earth Day was celebrated 52 years ago and was intended to raise awareness about threats to the environment in the United States, since then the day has grown to include calls for action to address a changing climate - around the globe. Women have always been at the heart of the movement, from Rachel Carson, whose seminal work Silent Spring introduced generations of lawmakers to the dangers of pesticides, to Greta Thunberg, whose climate activism has challenged world leaders to work harder to protect the planet, to young women like my daughter Becca Richie, whose work with Climate Clock provides a clear and urgent timetable for action.

Read more

Weekend Reading on Women's Representation April 15, 2022

By Cynthia Richie Terrell on April 15, 2022

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
 
Dear friends of women's representation,
While it has been amazing to read all the stories about the confirmation of Judge Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, Black women continue to be under-represented at all levels of government. There are bright spots - like the NYC Council that is now led by women of color - due in part to the combination of 21 in 21, public financing, and ranked choice voting. But according to this piece by Glynda Carr, Monica Simpson, and Leah Daughtry in USA Today we have a lot of work to do to reach a democracy that reflects the communities it represents:

Read more

Weekend Reading on Women's Representation April 8, 2022

By Cynthia Richie Terrell on April 08, 2022

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been confirmed to a seat on the Supreme Court
Dear friends of women's representation,
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been confirmed to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court when Justice Breyer retires at the end of this term. It bears repeating that Judge Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court - of the 115 people to have served just 5 have been women. And while the hearings were at times contentious, 3 Republican senators - all of whom happen to be from states that use ranked choice voting - voted to confirm Judge Jackson. Here is a snippet from The New York Times coverage of this historic event:

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman to be elevated to the pinnacle of the judicial branch in what her supporters hailed as a needed step toward bringing new diversity and life experience to the court.

Read more

Weekend Reading on Women's Representation April 1, 2022

By Cynthia Richie Terrell on April 01, 2022

Women now hold 61% of seats on the NY city council
 
Dear fans of gender balance of in politics,
This week RepresentWomen hosted an event with women leaders in NYC including NY Attorney General Letitia James, 21 in 21 CEO Jessica Haller, Hamilton Consulting Group president Katharine Pichardo-Erskine, & NYC councilmembers Crystal Hudson, Carmen De La Rosa, Amanda Farias, & Nantasha Williams. Speakers discussed their experience of running successfully for office in a ranked choice voting election and shared why they support RCV! You can watch the conversation here.

Read more

Weekend Reading on Women's Representation March 25, 2022

By Cynthia Richie Terrell on March 25, 2022

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson 
 
Dear fans of women's representation,
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and was a "model of composure" in the face of "egregious behavior of some on the Republican side" according to The Washington Post editorial board. 
Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin did not mince words in her column on the proceedings and the efforts by some to undermine the nomination of Judge Jackson:

It was then Jackson’s turn. She thanked God, her glowing family, her friends and her country. She invoked Justice Stephen G. Breyer, for whom she clerked, a not-too-subtle reminder that if the Senate found him acceptable, there should be no reason to oppose her. She gave a nod to Constance Baker Motley, the first African American woman appointed to the federal judiciary. And Jackson reaffirmed her “careful adherence to precedent,” acknowledging her tendency to write long opinions so people know exactly her reasons for deciding a case. (If only the Supreme Court’s right-wing justices felt similarly and stopped abusing the “shadow docket” and issuing orders without written opinions.)

Read more

Weekend Reading on Women's Representation March 18, 2022

By Cynthia Richie Terrell on March 18, 2022

Women speakers at the Democracy Solutions Summit
Dear fans of gender balance in politics,
The inaugural Democracy Solutions Summit hosted by RepresentWomen last week was a big success with 45 amazing women speakers, over 300 participants registered for each day, and over 17,000 views of the landing page for the Summit! 
If you missed the proceedings you can read the full transcript and listen to the recordings for:
  • Day One: Fair Elections – Upgrading How We Vote & Finance Campaigns
  • Day Two: Fair Access: The Electoral College, Voting Rights & the Legacy of Lani Guinier 
  • Day Three: Fair Representation: House Expansion, Redistricting, Ranked Choice Voting, & the Fair Representation Act 

Read more