Dear Reader,
It has been just about one month since the election, and many of us are still grappling with the reality of election results up and down the ballot, particularly the loss of Kamala Harris. She was, without a doubt, the most qualified candidate in the election. She worked in all branches of government and built a historic campaign in record time, yet she lost to someone who doesn’t respect the rule of law. Her qualifications were not the reason she lost; the system she was running failed her.
For many women, the aftermath of this loss has been tough. They are still grappling with the anxiety caused by the election—from the appointments to how this new administration will empower state governments to enact laws that actively harm women. Many women voted against their own best interests, and we are left wondering: How do we reconcile that? It's okay not to have all the answers right now, but the uncertainty created by this election is real, and it's deeply affecting women on multiple levels.
But more importantly, it’s been a good time for us to come together to discuss our plans for 2025—specifically, how RepresentWomen is going to meet the needs of women imagining a 21st-century democracy at all levels of government. We are committed to: building our research; collaborating with elected officials, partners, & democracy experts; and continuing to elevate women’s voices in the work to build a stronger and more representative democracy.
Since its founding in late 2018, RepresentWomen has grown from a team of two to a team of fourteen. The organization remains committed to supporting women candidates at all levels of government and addressing the barriers that prevent women from being elected. More than ever, women are needed in office to change our systems. Congresswoman Barbara Lee celebrated RepresentWomen for our work in building women's political power.
This week’s Weekend Reading is a bit shorter. It covers the in-person time the Communications and Operations teams spent in Washington, D.C., our staff holiday party, and preparing our 2025 Visionary Women’s Planner for packaging.
RepresentWomen’s End-of-Year Donor Call
On Wednesday, a powerful group of women’s representation advocates attended RepresentWomen's End-of-Year Review, "Building Women's Political Power." The event provided an opportunity for staff to reflect on the organization's accomplishments in 2024, including the 2024 Gender Parity Index, two international research briefs on the European Union and unrecognized states, the Black Women in Politics series and 2024 Races to Watch, the 2024 Democracy Solutions Summit, the 21st Century Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Virtual Town Hall, and resources on systems reforms and legislative modernization like compensation commissions and ranked-choice voting. If you missed our EOY donor call, you can watch the recording here.
RepresentWomen’s 2024 Impact Report
RepresentWomen had an impressive year, marked by increased engagement with our research, participation in domestic and international conferences, virtual events highlighting the importance of female representation in government, and testimony before state governments on proposed solutions and reforms. Additionally, we expanded our team by hiring three full-time employees. This growth positions RepresentWomen to tackle the challenges and opportunities of 2025 with even greater strength and impact. Read RepresentWomen’s 2024 Impact Report!
RepresentWomen’s 2025 Planner
The RepresentWomen team has been in the office this week making some holiday magic by packaging our 2025 Visionary Woman’s planners. Filled with key milestones for women, our planner helps you stay organized while learning more about women’s history. We hope everyone who ordered a planner loves it as much as we do. 💜📆
Planners are still available for 2025 – here is a link to order!
RepresentWomen’s holiday party was on Thursday! Most of the staff came together virtually and in person to celebrate a year of progress for RepresentWomen. We unboxed our holiday gifts, played games, and got to catch up about life outside of work. It was a great way for colleagues who are away from their friends and loved ones to spread the holiday cheer going into December. Here’s to a great year, an even greater staff, and more opportunities to come together in 2025.
This week I attended a terrific panel of women leaders in the democracy reform community including Rebecca Williams (FairVote Illinois), Jeanne Massey (FairVote Minnesota), Marcela Miranda-Caballero), Kelleen Potter (Utah RCV), and Lisa Rice (Make All Votes Count DC) at the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers gathering in San Diego, CA.
Women leaders in the democracy reform movement gathered for a fabulous fireside dinner to build community and strategize together.
Last night RepresentWomen board chair Michelle Whittaker and I attended the Advancement Project’s wonderful 25th anniversary celebration where I saw lots of all old friends including AD’s executive director, Judith Browne Dianis.
Invest in Equality this Giving Season
This past Giving Tuesday marks the unofficial start to the holiday giving season. This winter, consider investing in equality and supporting the work of RepresentWomen! Whether you share our research, attend an event, or provide financial support, your involvement makes all of our work possible. We are just under halfway to our goal of raising $3,000 by the end of the year to support our work, including our 2025 Visionary Woman’s Planner.
Please do not hesitate to contact us directly with any collaborations you would like to see in the coming year.
Have a great weekend,
Cynthia Richie Terrell
Founder and Executive Director, RepresentWomen
P.S.
The winter holidays are upon us! Celebrate women and get into the holiday spirit with our Feminist Holiday Playlist.