Timeline
Where we began: In August 2013, “Representation2020” (now RepresentWomen) was launched to study progress towards gender-balanced governance in the U.S. and identify structural barriers and solutions to women’s representation. We began as a fiscally-sponsored project of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that champions the use of single- and multi-winner ranked choice voting in the United States. Our initial goal was to achieve gender-balanced representation in politics by 2020.
Our new beginning: In the fall of 2018, Representation2020 separated from FairVote to become RepresentWomen, a nonpartisan research-based organization dedicated to advancing systems-level solutions for women’s underrepresentation in politics, under the leadership of RepresentWomen’s Executive Director and Founder Cynthia Richie Terrell. Within a year of forming its own board and mission, RepresentWomen secured a multi-year grant from Pivotal Ventures and hired its first staffer.
Where we are now: As of 2023, RepresentWomen’s team has grown to include eleven staff and four teams (research, partnerships, communications, and operations). RepresentWomen’s staff is led by a leadership team of four: Executive Director Cynthia Richie Terrell, Operations Director Michele McCrary, Research Director Courtney Lamendola, and Partnerships Director Katie Usalis. In addition to our staff and leadership, RepresentWomen continues to work with IREX fellows and seasonal interns. To date, RepresentWomen has mentored over 100 fellows and interns.
Our Work
We are committed to achieving gender balance in the United States, where women are in elected and appointed positions, at every level of government, in equal proportion to their presence in the population. Having more women in 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.
Feature resources and programs rolled out in 2023 included:
- The 2023 Democracy Solutions Summit (DSS),
- The Women Experts in Democracy Directory (WEDD),
- The Women's Power Collaborative (WPC),
- The Tenth-Anniversary Gender Parity Index (GPI),
- And new research on voting systems (RCV, PRCV) in the U.S. and abroad.
Through agenda-setting, research, and engagement, we are creating new ways for women to assume power in the United States. To date, our team has:
- Released 40+ research reports,
- Published 800+ blogs and op-eds,
- Participated in well over 350 events, and
- Supported 15+ state and local RCV campaigns.
To learn more about our strategy, our growth in the last five years, and our work in 2023, please turn to our annual report.