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Tuesday, December 10th marks the 100th anniversary of the earliest version of the Equal Rights Amendment being introduced to Congress. Written by feminists Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, the Equal Rights Amendment was crafted around the same time as the 19th Amendment and called for a legal end to sex-based discrimination in the United States. The text of the Equal Rights Amendment reads:
Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
Even though it had been introduced almost every year since 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment did not gain mainstream popularity until the mid-1970s after Michigan Congresswoman Martha Wright Griffiths introduced it. Congress ratified it in 1972 and sent it to the states for ratification; 38 states needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment by 1982 to become a part of the Constitution. Unfortunately, the ERA did not meet the 38-state deadline by 1982, and now remains in legal and constitutional limbo. Virginia became the crucial 38th state to ratify the ERA in January 2020.
Dr Dorothy Height, painted by Melanie Humble
This week Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a proclamation marking December 10 as Equal Rights Amendment Day in Washington, D.C. Her proclamation honored “Beverly Bond, Dorothy Height, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mary Church Terrell, Betty Friedan, and other trailblazing Washingtonians who have fought for constitutional equality for American women and girls.”
Earlier this year, three members of the RepresentWomen team had the incredible opportunity to honor another civil rights activist- Fannie Lou Hamer- at Freedom Farm Azul! Flowers for Fannie Lou celebrates the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer through a commitment to environmental justice, a strong mutual aid network, community building, and, most importantly, celebrating Black joy.
On Oct. 5, the eve of Hamer’s birthday, a celebration was held in her honor on the Black and queer-ran Freedom Farm Azul in Prattville, Ala. About 50 guests, some of them traveling from as far as Georgia, were welcomed to the second-annual “Flowers for Fannie Lou” event by bushels of bouquets featuring bright yellow sunflowers and baskets of snacks. Old-school hits poured out from a speaker to set the vibe. Children meandering through the trails were greeted by chickens on the 15-acre property.
The thing that really got me into this space was Fannie Lou Hamer’s understanding of who often gets left from the table, even in movements led by Black folk, and the way class plays a huge role in who gets seen and who doesn’t.
— Jasmyn Elise Story
The mission of Freedom Farm Azul is to nourish, educate and heal the community — especially people who are marginalized — while also healing a land once occupied by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Freedom Farm Azul Founder Jasmyn Elise Story said the event gives reverence to Hamer’s work while teaching guests how to weave her legacy in their own lives and communities.
This week’s Weekend Reading highlights, RepresentWomen’s Holiday Wrapped, wins for women’s representation in Namibia and Ghana, the history of women’s representation in Western states, the 2025 Virginia governor’s race, and stagnating gender parity in Indiana.
RepresentWomen’s Holiday Wrapped
We are changing the tune of the political landscape and building women's power. This year, RepresentWomen has authored 52 research publications, hosted 22 in-person and virtual events, and strengthened our commitment to supporting women at all levels of government! In July, we were in our reflective era with the release of the 2024 Gender Parity Index, and in October, we were in our community building, connection crafting, and friendship era with our 21st Century Seneca Falls Virtual Town Hall! Explore all of RepresentWomen’s eras this year in our 2024 Impact Report.
Namibia Elects First Female President
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah just got elected as Namibia’s first female president! A passionate advocate, she joined Swapo, then a liberation movement resisting South Africa's white-minority rule, as a teenager. She fought for a free South West Africa (now Namibia), was exiled for fourteen years, and returned to join the Swapo-run government. Nandi-Ndaitwah is a women’s rights reformer and held key government positions in foreign affairs, tourism, and advocating for children.
Wedaeli Chibelushi in London & Frauke Jensen in Windhoek write in BBC:
Nicknamed NNN, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has made history by being elected as Namibia's first female president.
The 72-year-old won more than 57% of the vote, with her closest rival, Panduleni Itula, getting 26%, according to the electoral commission.
It is just the latest episode in a life packed with striking events - Nandi-Ndaitwah has fought against occupying powers, fled into exile and established herself as one of the most prominent women in Namibian politics.
However, Itula has rejected her victory. He said the election was "deeply flawed", following logistical problems and a three-day extension to polling in some parts of the country.
The Virginia Governors Race Will Likely Be Between Two Women
Credit: RepresentWomen
For the first time, Virginia may elect a woman governor, as Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) are widely expected to face off in next year’s gubernatorial election. If the matchup occurs, it will mark only the 11th time in U.S. history that two women have been the major-party candidates for governor.
Despite women’s growing political power, executive positions like governorships remain challenging. A race with two women running guarantees progress towards gender balance. RepresentWomen will be keeping an eye on this race and analyzing how it will impact Virginia ranking and letter grade in the Gender Parity Index.
Laura Vozzella writes in the Washington Post:
“To see two women major-party candidates for a very high-profile governor’s race is, in and of itself, a big sign of progress in this country,” said Amanda Hunter, former executive director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, which for 25 years studied women running for executive office on both sides of the aisle.
While Republican Kelly Ayotte and Democrat Joyce Craig squared off for New Hampshire governor this year, it is highly unusual for both major-party candidates for governor to be women. That has been the case only 10 times in American history, according to the Center for American Women in Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University.
Spanberger vs. Earle-Sears would be number 11.
17th Woman Vice President Elected in Ghana
Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang will be Ghana’s Vice President starting in 2025 under the National Democratic Congress (NDC). She served as Minister for Education (2013-2017) under President John Mahama and made history when she was nominated for Vice President back in 2020. Her appointment is considered a milestone in advancing gender representation in Ghana.
Solomon Ekanem writes in Business Insider Africa:
Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang is a renowned Ghanaian academic and politician.As Minister for Education (2013-2017) under President John Mahama, she oversaw significant educational improvements.
In 2020, she made history as the first woman nominated for vice-president by a major political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), symbolizing a commitment to gender equality.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang's rise to prominence in the challenging sphere of African politics underscores the remarkable resilience and capability of women to navigate and excel within complex political landscapes.
Her success highlights the growing recognition of women's leadership and their capacity to drive impactful change in governance and society.
Women-Led Legislatures in the American West
Jeannette Rankin, painted by Melanie Humble
A new article by Jessica Kutz in the 19th covers the American West's history of breaking gender barriers in politics, with women holding elected positions even before gaining the right to vote nationwide in 1920. Western states like Colorado, Utah, and Montana led the way, with milestones such as the first women in state legislatures, the first female U.S. representative (Jeannette Rankin, 1916), and the first woman governor (Nellie Tayloe Ross, 1925).In 2024, New Mexico and Colorado joined Nevada as the only states with majority women-led legislatures, reflecting recent efforts to elect women to office.
Despite progress, systemic barriers remain, such as campaign funding influences and party constraints. Systems reforms like open primaries and ranked-choice voting can improve gender representation.
A lot of the western states just really led the way,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director for the Center for American Women and Politics. “That sense of new frontiers, it really spills out into women’s representation.”
So it should come as no surprise that the West also has broken records this election, with New Mexico and Colorado joining Nevada to become the only three states in the country where women make up the majority in state legislatures.
This pattern stems from back when western states were being formed. As newer states, their governments were being built in more fluid environments and were less entrenched in the longer standing governance of the eastern colonies, Sinzdak said. The times offered more room for experimentation. “They were literally being formed as people were moving out there,” she said.
Women to Hold Record Number of State Legislative Seats in 2025, But Progress Remains Uneven
Credit: RepresentWomen
Women will hold a record number of state legislative seats in 2025, comprising about one-third of lawmakers nationwide. Notable gains occurred in New Mexico and Colorado, where women will form a majority for the first time. However, progress was uneven, with 13 states, including Indiana, seeing declines in women’s representation. Indiana received a “D” grade in our 2024 Gender Parity Index. Read the full report for strategies to improve gender representation in all 50 states.
Noah Bressner and Arika Herron report in Axios:
Women will hold a record number of state legislative seats next year, filling about a third of seats nationwide.
Why it matters: The most notable increases were in New Mexico and Colorado, where women will make up most lawmakers for the first time, AP reports.
Yes, but: The uptick was small. And at least 13 states, including Indiana, saw losses in female representation.
By the numbers: 19 states will increase the number of women in their state legislatures in 2025, according to Rutgers' Center for American Women and Politics.
The increase in the number of women in state legislatures – especially majorities in the House in Alaska and overall in a number of states is indeed good news. But women will have fewer seats in the next Congress – despite a huge increase in funding for these races and many strong women candidates. Our current winner take all voting system protects incumbents – who continue to win nearly all seats - making it very hard for challengers to succeed. I am committed to investing more energy in 2025 to advancing solutions like the Ranked Choice Voting Act and the Fair Representation Act that are essential to breaking up the status quo and electing more women to the U.S. House and Senate.
I started my holiday baking on Saturday with my dear aunt Helen’s recipe for Nutty Nuggets that calls for 10 sticks of butter and a lot of pecans!
A sample of the cookie boxes that I am sending to my family featuring my daughter’s shortbread, my mother’s sugar cookies, ginger pigs, chocolates from Italy, and a clove apple!
This week I am attending a conference hosted by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to discuss the provisions of its Our Common Purpose report – I had breakfast with the ever amazing Maria Perez, co-director of Democracy Rising – she and I compared our friendship bracelets.
Sending warmth and gratitude in this season of light,
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P.S.
While the RepresentWomen team was at the Rejkiyavík Global Forum this year, Partnerships Director Katie Usalis sat down with 3 remarkable women leaders: Mary Robinson, President of Ireland (1990-1997), Dr. Michelle Harrison, CEO of Verian and the Reykjavik Index for Leadership, and Senator Donna Dasko (Canada). Read more about these insightful conversations on our website!
P.P.S.
As a reminder, RepresentWomen will be closed for our Holiday Restoration from Wednesday, December 18, through Friday, January 6. Our staff will take a much-needed reset after a busy 2024 Election Season. In the meantime, stay tuned to our social media for some highlights of the last year, including our playlists! Get into the holiday spirit this December and celebrate women with these feminist holiday hits!
