From Athens to Louisiana, women are shaping the fight for democracy. As global leaders convene to defend democratic values, and the U.S. Supreme Court reconsiders the Voting Rights Act, women’s voices remain central to the struggle for representation and equality.
If you walk along Fourth Street in downtown Cincinnati today, you’d never know that one of the most defiant speeches in women’s history was once delivered there, precisely 170 years ago to this day.
No plaque marks the spot. No bronze statue bears her name. Yet on an October afternoon in 1855, Lucy Stone stood before a packed hall and dared a nation to confront its promise of equality.
Picture of Lucy Stone. Source: National Women’s History Museum
She spoke not from bitterness, but from conviction — giving voice to what generations of women had long felt but few had said aloud: disappointment. Not a quiet, private kind, but a righteous one; the kind that stirs change. It was the disappointment of living in a nation that called itself a democracy, yet denied women the right to vote. The disappointment of being taught obedience instead of opportunity; of marriage laws that erased women’s rights; of churches and classrooms that asked women to serve but never lead.
Her words filled the hall like a reckoning:
“It shall be the business of my life to deepen this disappointment in every woman's heart until she bows down to it no longer.”
In that moment, Lucy Stone transformed the disappointment into determination. Her speech became a spark that carried women through decades of organizing, petitioning, and protesting. Even as her name faded from the textbooks that told the story of America’s march toward equality, her legacy continued.
Cincinnati, the city that gave her the stage, was already a crossroads of reform in those years — home to Harriet Beecher Stowe, Elizabeth Blackwell, and countless women who believed that a just society must be built, not begged for. But history moved on, and the city’s role in the women’s rights movement slipped quietly into the margins.
Nearly seventy years later, Cincinnati would once again try to rewrite the rules of representation. In 1925, voters adopted proportional ranked choice voting to loosen the grip of party bosses and open local government to new voices. For three decades, it worked.
During this period, Marian Spencer emerged as one of the city’s most courageous reformers. Born in 1920, Spencer came of age during segregation and became a leading voice for civil rights in Cincinnati. In 1952, she led the successful lawsuit to desegregate Cincinnati’s Coney Island Amusement Park after her children were turned away at the gate. This act would spark a lifetime of activism. Over several decades, Spencer fought to integrate schools, expand voting rights, and dismantle barriers to representation.
Pictured: Marian and Donald Spencer with one of their sons. Source: The Black Dollar Project: Cincinnati, Facebook Page.
She became the first woman to lead the Cincinnati NAACP and, in 1983, the first African American woman elected to City Council, later serving as Vice Mayor. Alongside her husband and fellow activist Donald Spencer, she carried forward Cincinnati’s tradition of civic courage, providing that representation is both the measure and the means of equality.
By 1957, entrenched interests succeeded in repealing proportional ranked choice voting, but Spencer’s leadership ensured that the city’s spirit of reform never disappeared. In fact, Marian remained at the forefront of efforts to bring the reform back for the rest of her life, which allowed her path to intersect with my own. I was incredibly fortunate to get to know Don and Marian Spencer in 1991, when my husband and I lived in Cincinnati and worked with them and others to restore proportional ranked choice voting — a system that had served the city so well for decades. Their vision, integrity, dedication, and unwavering belief in democracy’s promise have stayed with me ever since.
Though our efforts in 1991 did not succeed, a new generation of Cincinnatians is leading the charge to bring ranked choice voting back. The movement, led by the Charter Commission of Cincinnati and supported by good local coalitions such as Ohio Citizens Action, seeks to place ranked choice voting on the ballot once again — restoring a system that once helped make the city’s government more representative and inclusive.
Cincinnati’s reform legacy has always been powered by ordinary people who refuse to accept politics as usual — from the women who gathered at Nixon’s Hall to the citizens now organizing for a more representative system. That same spirit endures today in voices like that of Tamaya Dennard, a lifelong Cincinnatian and RepresentWomen staff member, who reminds us why this work matters:
“Electoral reform means continuously looking at our voting systems and vetting them for effectiveness and true representation. When an opportunity comes along to fairly give all citizens a stronger voice, we should embrace it. I’ve been underrepresented in perpetuity — that’s why I support ranked choice voting.”
She went on to reflect on her city’s long tradition of leadership and courage:
“Cincinnati has always been a city that leads with courage. Restoring ranked choice voting isn’t about how we count ballots — it’s about who counts in our democracy. It’s a chance to make our city reflect all of us.”
The story of Lucy Stone and these reformers is connected by more than a coincidence. Both ask the same question: how do we build a democracy worthy of everyone’s voice?
Each petition signed and every reform revived is another step in ensuring that no woman — and no community — must live in disappointment of our democracy again.
Milestones for notable women this week include birthdays for: Maria Cantwell (U.S. Senator), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (U.S. Representative), Suzanne Bonamici (U.S. Representative), Kay Ivey (Governor of Alabama), Jennifer Pierotti Lim (co-founder of Republican Women for Progress), Edith Wilson (former First Lady), Kristen Juras (Lieutenant Governor of Montana), Cheri Bustos (former U.S. Representative), Mae C. Jemison (first Black woman to travel in space), Letitia James (New York Attorney General), Young Kim (U.S. Representative), Terry McMillan (author), Brittney Griner (basketball player and advocate), Tracy Chevalier (author), Ashlyn Harris (professional soccer player and activist), Bertha Knight Landes (first woman mayor in the U.S.), Marjorie Tallchief (Osage Nation ballerina), and Andrea Conte (advocate and former First Lady of Tennessee).
New Orleans Elects Helena Moreno as Mayor in Landslide in Crowded Field
City Councilor Helena Moreno on the campaign trail. Source: New York Times
After three centuries of male mayors, New Orleans voters have now elected women in three consecutive mayoral races. On October 11, city councilor Helena Moreno defeated a crowded field with 55 percent of the vote. Born in Mexico, Moreno will be the city’s first Hispanic mayor and the latest in a growing line of women leading one of America’s most storied cities. The New York Times reports:
In a victory speech on Saturday night, Ms. Moreno said the outcome reflected a deep desire for New Orleans to change course and move “toward becoming a city that works, toward becoming a city where we can all thrive, where opportunities are not just for some but for everyone.
“I really hope that you are not weary,” she told a jubilant crowd, “because the hard work is actually just ahead.”
Ms. Moreno, a former television journalist, broke ahead of a crowded field of a dozen candidates, which included several other credible contenders. Louisiana elections start with what is called a jungle primary, in which candidates from all parties compete. The top two vote-getters then proceed to a runoff in the general election unless one candidate wins the race outright. That is what happened on Saturday, when 55 percent of voters backed Ms. Moreno, according to preliminary results from state elections officials; she outpaced her nearest rival, State Senator Royce Duplessis, by 33 points.
Her victory marks another significant milestone for women’s leadership in the South, particularly at a moment when headlines out of Louisiana have otherwise been heavy. As the Supreme Court case, Louisiana v. Callais, unfolds — threatening to erode protections for representation and challenge hard-won rights — Helena Moreno's win stands as a light, reminding us what progress and representation can look like when democracy is working as it should.
In Fairbanks, Alaska, Woman Mindy O’Neal Challenger Defeats Incumbent
Mindy O’Neall. Source: Mindy O’Neall campaign website.
Fairbanks has a new mayor. Unofficial election results show Mindy O’Neall leading with over 1,800 votes, securing a win over David Pruhs, who received more than 1,500 votes and conceded Tuesday night. Your Alaska Link reports:
For O’Neall, the reality of her victory is still setting in. "Between a state of shock, disbelief, and then like, heck yeah, of course I am. So, let’s do this," she said.
Surrounded by friends, family, and her campaign team on election night, O’Neall expressed deep gratitude for the support she received. "I was surrounded by some of my best friends, my family, the community... an incredible team and campaign volunteers."
While not a native of Fairbanks, O’Neall moved there more than 20 years ago from the Midwest — driving a stick-shift pickup truck on a trek north to Alaska, according to KMAland’s coverage. Since then, she’s made the city her home, bringing both entrepreneurial spirit and deep community engagement to her new role. She most recently served as Executive Director of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, where she worked with realtors, builders, military leaders, nonprofits, and local governments to develop a downtown housing plan focused on affordable, energy-efficient housing.
This experience helps explain why O’Neall has made addressing Fairbanks’ homelessness crisis her first priority as mayor:
"Those are our neighbors, and I’m ready to work with other organizations so there’s better facilitation in how we reach out."
Her decision to run was also deeply personal, as she shared with KMAland:
“We had a mayor who had made some very disparaging comments regarding our Indigenous population here, and in 2025, we don’t really need that type of rhetoric anymore,” O’Neall said. “That was the impetus for me running for city mayor. The more I got into it and started evaluating where I was in my own career and in my public service, I just really embraced the opportunity to serve this community in that capacity.”
O’Neal now becomes only the fourth woman ever elected mayor of Fairbanks, following Sylvia Waller Ringstad (1965), Ruth E. Burnett (1980), and Terry Strle (2007). Her election marks another important step toward gender balance in local leadership and a reminder that progress and representation begin closest to home.
As Democratic Institutions Erode, Women See a Loss of Rights
Members of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation joined leaders, scholars, and advocates at the 2025 Athens Democracy Forum, hosted by The New York Times. Ivan Vejvoda (third from left) moderated “Bending the Arc of Democracy,” a session addressing how democratic erosion affects women and girls worldwide. Source: Kettering Foundations, Threads.
Although I wasn’t able to attend this year’s Athens Democracy Forum, where I spoke on a plenary panel in 2023 and helped organize a RepresentWomen panel in 2024, I’ve been following the conversations closely. One highlight worth sharing is this thoughtful piece from the New York Times that captures several of the themes discussed. It notes:
According to political scientists, gender-based violence is one of many tactics deployed by eroding democracies to delegitimize women and limit their rights, to assert control.
Studies have shown there is a strong correlation between the status of women in a country and the health of its democracy, with the empowerment of women viewed as a fundamental cornerstone in nations seeking democratic resilience. Conversely, women are disproportionately affected when a democracy starts to backslide.
“Democracy helps advance gender equality, and more gender equality, in turn, helps reinforce democracy, so it’s kind of a mutually reinforcing relationship,” said Saskia Brechenmacher, senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who holds a doctorate in political science and government, in a video call. “So given that, you can imagine that a trend of democratic erosion in the long term is going to have a negative effect, because it’s breaking down that mutually reinforcing relationship.”
At the Athens Democracy Forum earlier this month, one panel, “Bending the Arc of Democracy,” presented in partnership with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and moderated by Ivan Vejvoda, a Serbian political scientist and Kettering Fellow, examined threats facing democracy, including the effect of democratic backsliding on women and girls.“We are sitting at a moment of democracy crisis worldwide,” Sharon L. Davies, the president and chief executive of the Kettering Foundation, said during the panel.
These conversations at the Athens Democracy Forum have always underscored for me how closely women’s rights and democratic health are intertwined. When women are silenced, democracies weaken; when women lead, they strengthen the institutions that uphold freedom and equality. For those interested in exploring this theme further, I invite you to revisit my remarks from last year’s Forum, where I discussed the systems reforms needed to sustain democracy through gender balance.
How Women Leaders in Government Can Improve Social Outcomes
New research published by the National Council of Applied Economic Research indicates that increasing the share of women in parliaments and cabinet positions in emerging and developing economies significantly boosts investment in education and health, delivering measurable improvements in outcomes like child mortality and school quality. The study by Benedict Clements and Ratna Sahay finds that in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), a 20-percentage-point rise in women’s representation in parliament is associated with a 0.4 percentage point increase in health spending (relative to GDP), even after controlling for existing levels. They note in a blog post for the Center for Global Development:
Raising the share of women as ministers has a broadly similar effect. For education spending, raising the share of women in parliament also has a positive effect of a similar magnitude, but this effect is not as strong when the share of women as ministers rises.
Another significant finding in our paper is the positive impact of greater female representation in government on socioeconomic outcomes, independent of spending on education and health. A greater share of women in parliament is associated with a reduction in infant and under-five mortality rates and improvements in learning-adjusted years of schooling, keeping the spending unchanged on these items. It is also associated with higher access to basic water services. These findings suggest that greater representation of women in policymaking may not only raise the level of social spending but also influence how effectively this spending translates into better outcomes.
… Looking forward, the modest outlook for global economic growth, high levels of public debt, rising military spending, and declining foreign aid will limit the scope of EMDEs to spend on education and health. Against this backdrop, creative solutions to improving social outcomes are needed. Appointing or electing women to top political positions may help forge the political coalitions needed to reprioritize public spending and improve socioeconomic outcomes.
The findings offer powerful evidence of what representation makes possible. When women are present in policymaking, governments invest more wisely and deliver more equitably. The path to a healthier, more educated, and more stable world runs through systems that value and elevate women’s leadership at every level.
Putting Women at the Center Is Critical for Climate Justice
Source: The Japan Times
Around the world, women are often on the frontlines of climate change — yet too frequently left out of the decisions meant to address it. Systemic inequalities, limited access to resources, and unequal social roles mean women face higher risks from climate impacts, while holding less influence over climate policy and finance.
Despite this, global climate funds rarely invest in gender-responsive solutions. According to the World Economic Forum, only about 0.01% of global climate finance currently supports initiatives that both advance climate action and women’s empowerment. Their latest piece outlines five key reasons why gender and climate must go hand in hand:
The connection between gender and climate change is evident on two levels: 1) the impact of climate change on gender; and 2) the feedback effect of gender actions towards the performance of climate change governance.
1. Vulnerability to climate change across gender
Women, as a primary group affected by climate change, often bear more vulnerability. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change first referenced gender-differentiated climate impacts in its 2001 report, noting that rural women are particularly vulnerable due to their dependence on natural resources for livelihoods…
2. Lacking gender representation in climate governance
In multilateral negotiations and domestic climate policy formulation, women are often inadequately considered in discourse and participation. This status quo leads to systematic biases in climate actions, which means many policies lack gender consideration in climate responses…
3. Women’s under-appreciated role in climate action
Women possess unique knowledge and experience crucial for effective climate adaptation and mitigation, yet are often overlooked, resulting in insufficient effectiveness and inclusiveness of climate policies…
4. Structural deficits in climate finance
At COP29 in 2024, it was noted that developing countries face a significant climate finance gap of approximately $1.3 trillion per year. Despite growing awareness and progress in promoting the coordinated development of climate investment and finance with gender equality, significant structural deficiencies remain in the allocation of funds.
5. Gender as a core component of climate justice
Climate justice means justice for all. Low-carbon transitions towards sustainability must ensure inclusive access to decisive information, understanding, participation and decision-making influences for all stakeholders, especially marginalized groups. Those who suffer losses must also receive compensation.
These findings reinforce what so many of us already know: women are not just the victims of climate change — they are vital to its solutions. When women have a voice in shaping environmental policy, communities become more resilient, responses more equitable, and progress more sustainable. To achieve true climate justice, women must be centered not at the margins of decision-making, but at the heart of it.
Latvia Women Push Back Against Withdrawal from Treaty Supporting Women Victims of Violence
Women protesters in Latvia earlier this month. Source: Latvian Public Media.
In a movement that resonates deeply with my own history of defending the Equal Rights Amendment against populist conservatives in the United States, Latvian women are on the frontlines of their own struggle for equality. As their government considers abandoning a 2023 treaty designed to protect women from violence — one signed under a woman prime minister — Latvian women are rising to defend the progress they’ve made. The Associated Press reports:
Women's rights activists taped their mouths shut at a demonstration Wednesday outside the Latvian parliament to protest the country's possible withdrawal from an international treaty aimed at supporting women who are victims of violence. Dozens of protesters watched as several women, with their hands tied behind their backs, sat down in front of a table with a white cloth covered in red paint handprints.
The demonstration, the second of its kind in two weeks, follows a decision by Latvian lawmakers last month to start a process that could lead to withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. The Council of Europe treaty, which Latvia ratified in 2023, is meant to standardize support for women who are victims of violence, including domestic abuse. Ultra-conservative groups and political parties across Europe have criticized the treaty in recent years, arguing that it promotes “gender ideology," encourages sexual experimentation and harms children…
[Former] Prime Minister Evika Silina took to social media on Tuesday to argue the treaty had “significantly improved” assistance to victims. Her governing coalition committed to ratifying the treaty when coming to power in 2023.
Moments like these remind us that progress for women is never guaranteed — it must be protected, renewed, and carried forward by each generation. Whether in the United States, Latvia, or anywhere in the world, the struggle for equality is sustained by women who refuse to be silenced and who understand that rights enshrined in law are only as strong as the will to defend them.
Sunset District’s Track Record Suggests Choosing a Woman Will Serve San Francisco Better
Katy Tang, Carmen Chu, and Fiona Ma all advanced their political careers after serving as Sunset supervisors. Source: The San Franscico Standard.
As San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie prepares to appoint a new supervisor for District 4 (Sunset), recent history offers a clear pattern: women who’ve held the post have consistently advanced in public service and provided stable, effective leadership, while several male predecessors have faced scandal, recall, or defeat. The San Francisco Standard notes:
Since San Francisco returned to district supervisor elections in 2000, seven people have represented the Sunset (currently part of District 4). Of the women, all three — Fiona Ma, Carmen Chu, and Katy Tang — have gone onto higher office or become department heads in the current administration. Of the men, two (Leland Yee and Ed Jew) have done jail time, one (Gordon Mar) was booted after a single term, and one (Joel Engardio) didn’t even make it that far, being recalled in a landslide election last month.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” said Caryl Ito, a former president of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. “There is clearly a gender disparity in who succeeds and who doesn’t. It appears the men have failed.”
Advocates are urging Lurie not only to consider qualifications but also to be intentional about gender in his decision, to restore trust, accountability, and stability in District 4.
Looking at the city’s record, it’s hard to argue with the evidence: when women lead, they lead well. San Francisco’s experience is a microcosm of a larger truth — representation isn’t just about fairness; it’s about outcomes. Appointing more women to public office strengthens institutions, builds community trust, and delivers the steady, solutions-focused leadership that voters deserve.
Working-Class Women Are Poised to Redefine the Democratic Party in 2026
Deb Haaland (left), JoAnna Mendoza (center), and Kaela Berg (right) are among the Democratic women from blue-collar backgrounds running for office in 2026. Source: Rollcall
Following the steep Democratic losses in the 2024 presidential and congressional elections, Roll Call reports that some party strategists are betting on a new wave of candidates: women from working-class backgrounds who are shaping campaigns around economic populism and lived experiences. Their reporting notes:
As Democrats chart a course out of the wilderness following steep 2024 losses, the party is counting on candidates from blue-collar backgrounds to win back working-class voters anxious about the high cost of living and angry at a political class they view as indifferent to their day-to-day difficulties.
In past cycles, this populist appeal has often been personified by “brawny guys with progressive politics, anti-establishment swagger and a toughness born of adversity — not to mention an affinity for tattoos, beards and flannel.” But, the outlet notes, women like Mendoza and several other Democratic candidates are redefining what grit and authenticity look like in public life.
“You don’t have to have a beard in order to connect with voters,” said Jessica Mackler, the president of EMILY’s List, which backs Democratic women who support abortion rights. Voters, she added, are looking for “people who understand their lived experiences and are ready to fight back.”
As I read this, I'm reminded that representation is not just about who sits at the table, but whose stories shape the agenda. When women from working-class backgrounds step forward, they bring the realities of family budgets, caregiving, and every struggle into spaces that too often overlook them. Their leadership doesn’t just expand the face of power — it redefines what leadership means.
P.S. — I’m honored to share that my latest commentary was published today in Ms. Magazine: “What’s at Stake in Louisiana v. Callais—and Why It Matters for Women.”
The case before the Supreme Court could reshape the Voting Rights Act and determine whether women of color can continue gaining ground in political representation. You can read the full newsletter feature on our website here.