Dear all,

Sewall Belmont House announced the launch of the Women's Vote Centennial Initiative to plan for the 100th anniversary of suffrage in 2020. This blog by Stephanie Drahan on the League of Women Voters site is a good overview of the discussion of Women in Politics from 1920 to 2016 held last week at Sewall Belmont House.

Dear all,

Several pieces caught my eye this week including a blog by Representation2020 intern Viviana Gonzalez on the history of using structural remedies like Title IX and the Civil Rights Act to address an unlevel playing field for women and girls. The success of these programs grounds my belief that structural reforms must be a component of our work for parity.

By Viviana Gonzalez
​
​Americans have long looked to structural solutions to remedy inequality. One of the most influential instances of this type of solution is the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a monumental law that met pervasive issues of discrimination with structural solutions. It addressed the social problem of de facto discrimination against minorities by creating legal avenues for victims to remedy discrimination based on religion, race, color, or national origin. However, the Civil Rights Act is not the only instance in which the federal government has turned to structural remedies. There are many other examples, including the Voting Rights Act 1965, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and Title IX of Education Amendments of 1972. Turning to structural solutions is an American tradition.

Dear friends,

The celebrations of women's history month continue with plenty to read and absorb.

I was very glad to take my 16 year old daughter to Running Start's10th anniversary gala this week in Washington, DC. Madeline Albright was honored at the fabulous event that featured an impressive array of women - from student leaders to members of Congress. Congratulations to the Running Start leadership and staff on an incredible evening! I am happy to report that my daughter was very inspired!

Dear friends,

There were many great celebrations of International Women's Day this week - this Google Doodle - struck a a hopeful chord.

(poster for the massive suffrage parade on March 3rd, 1913)

Dear women's representation enthusiasts,

I am starting off Women's History Month on vacation with my sister and mother-in law so this week's compilation will be brief so that I can get back to the many novels I brought to read!

Dear all,

This week I will be especially brief as I am racing out the door!

Here are a couple things to read about women's representation that caught my eye.

Sarah John, FairVote's research director, has a write-up of the Irish elections that are taking place today! Stay tuned for more information on how women fare in the fair representation voting system used there.

Hello movie fans!

As some of you may know, the Academy uses ranked choice voting to select best picture, best actor, and best actress. You can learn more about how the Oscar voting process works on the FairVote website.

Dear all,

Historical note:

Susan B. Anthony - champion of women's suffrage and equality lived from February 15, 1820 to March 13, 1906. Her arrest for voting in 1872 led to a very public trial. In 1878 she and Elizabeth Cady Stanton petitioned Congress for the right to vote - this amendment, widely known as the Anthony Amendment, became the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.

Dear friends,

In a piece on Vox, Tez Clark revisits University of Chicago law professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos' paper that explores political power through the lens of race and gender. His conclusion is that women are "the most politically powerless group...women have the least influence on policy at both the state and federal level. Despite their large population share and the range of laws protecting them from discrimination, women continue to be alarmingly powerless relative to men."