A new study gives South Carolina a “D” grade for gender equality in elected office. That poor grading comes with the Palmetto State ranking 23rd in the nation for gender parity. “Gender parity is defined as the point at which women and men are equally likely to hold elected office in the state,” the study says. The study was put together by Representation 2020, which is part of FairVote, a voting advocacy organization. They looked at gender parity amongst elected officials in all 50 states, giving each a score between zero and 100 with 50 meaning a state has reached gender parity in elected office. South Carolina scored 20. Among the reasons given for the low score and grade are the fact that the Palmetto State has no women elected to Congress and that only one woman holds any of the eight statewide offices, that being Molly Spearman, superintendent of education.

A recent study released by Representation2020, a group that advocates for reforms in the recruitment process, voting systems, and legislative practices so that more women would enter public office, suggests that the big picture hasn’t changed much, with the federal government dominated by mostly men. According to the gender parity index, or GPI, which rates women’s electoral success at the local, state, and national levels, the 2017 report finds that women are underrepresented across the board. Since the Northern Mariana Islands is not a state, it did not get a formal gender parity score, but the GPI Report still tracks their progress toward parity. “Unfortunately, their progress is only marginal. The Islands have never elected a female delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives or a female governor,” a statement from Representation2020 said.

As the Northern Mariana Islands do not have statehood, they did not receive a formal Gender Parity Score, but the GPI Report still tracks their progress toward parity. Unfortunately, their progress is only marginal. The Islands have never elected a female delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives or a female governor. Furthermore, just one of nine seats in the Northern Mariana Islands’ Senate and two of 20 seats in the territory’s House of Representatives are held by women.

A national group that seeks gender parity in politics gives Utah an "F" grade for how many women it elects. Representation2020 ranks Utah 46th among the 50 states for women's representation. It is one of 33 states that received a grade of "D" or "F" in the group's latest rankings, released this week. The group uses a "gender parity index" that rates women's electoral success on a scale of 0 (no women in major elected office) to 100 (women hold all such offices). It said its goal of gender parity is a score of 50 and an A grade. Utah received a score of 9.5, about half the national average score of 18.6.

Representation2020, a nonprofit that advocates for institutional reforms to level the playing field for women candidates, enabling them to run, win, serve, and lead effectively, has released its latest analysis on the underrepresentation of women in elected office, quantified through the Gender Parity Index (GPI). The GPI rates women’s recent electoral success at the local, state, and national levels, and the 2017 report finds that women are underrepresented at all levels of government. According to the group, as of June 2017, the median Gender Parity Score is 18.6 out of 100, barely up from the 2015 score of 18.1. The GPI ranks New Hampshire first and Mississippi last in women’s political representation. Out of all 50 states, 33 have a Gender Parity Score below 25, giving them a grade of D or F.

Representation2020 has released its latest analysis on the underrepresentation of women in elected office, quantified through the Gender Parity Index (GPI). The GPI rates women’s recent electoral success at the local, state, and national levels on a scale of 0 (no women in major elected offices) to 100 (women hold all such offices). These scores also translate to a letter grade. The goal of gender parity is a score of 50 and an A grade, which indicates that women and men are equally likely to hold office. The 2017 GPI finds that women are underrepresented at all levels of government. As of June 2017, the median Gender Parity Score is 18.6, barely up from the 2015 score of 18.1. The GPI ranks New Hampshire first and Mississippi last in women’s political representation. Out of all 50 states, 33 have a Gender Parity Score below 25, giving them a grade of D or F.

Representation2020 has released its latest analysis on the underrepresentation of women in elected office, quantified through the Gender Parity Index (GPI), and Pennsylvania was given the second-lowest grade on it. The GPI rates women's recent electoral success at the local, state, and national levels on a scale of 0 (no women in major elected offices) to 100 (women hold all such offices). These scores also translate to a letter grade, according to a press release that came out Wednesday. The goal of gender parity is a score of 50 and an A grade, which indicates that women and men are equally likely to hold office. The 2017 GPI finds that women are underrepresented at all levels of government.

Indiana has received a D grade for its representation of women in elected office, according to a recent report by Representation2020. In the report, Indiana received a score of 16.4 on the 2017 Gender Parity Index, compared with an average score of 18.6 for the U.S. as a whole. Indiana’s score dropped, falling from its 2015 score of 18.7. Indiana was ranked 32 in the country, trailing behind states like Arizona, California and Hawaii. States with the lowest scores in the country included Arkansas, Georgia and Kentucky. The GPI was calculated by tallying recent elections at local, state and national levels that placed women in office. Scores range from a zero for women holding no elected offices to 100 for women holding every elected office. The ideal score is a 50, which represents gender parity in elected office, according to the report.

A new study placing Idaho among the worst in the nation when it comes to women holding elected positions had leaders on both sides of the aisle doing something they rarely do — agreeing. “There is no gender test,” said Brent Regan, chair of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. “I would certainly welcome any good candidate for office.” Bev Moss, spoke on behalf of the Kootenai County Democrats. “When we’re running people, gender has not been a big consideration,” Moss said. “We would just like to get anybody elected — male or female.” Representation2020, which advocates for gender parity — a 50:50 ratio of men to women — in politics, created a grading system for states based on the recent electoral successes of female candidates at the local, state and national levels. Idaho received a “D” grade in the study, which places it at 45th in the nation.

Considering a woman has yet to break the nation's highest electoral glass ceiling — the presidency — it comes as no surprise that the country's other governing bodies aren't doing so great when it comes to gender equality either. A new report from Representation2020, an organization advocating for women's representation in politics, has found that just one state is doing well enough to merit an "A" rating in gender parity: New Hampshire. To determine New Hampshire's standing, researchers used a "gender parity index," a system that awards points to states based on how many women hold office in U.S. Congress, state executive positions, the state legislature and local government. New Hampshire was the first state to elect an all-female congressional delegation, with women currently occupying all four of its seats in the U.S. Senate and House.