Dear Reader,

This week is the American Democracy Summit in Phoenix, Arizona! At ADS, over one thousand individuals and organizations committed to building nonpartisan political power came together to brainstorm a stronger, more effective democracy. Speaker topics included election reform, encouraging civic participation, strengthening our constitution, and empowering young voters. 

On Wednesday,  members of RepresentWomen’s Programs and Partnerships team, Victoria Pelletier and Tamaya Dennard, alongside Liuba Grechen Shirley founder of Vote Mama, and Melissa Jackowski, the National Field Strategy Director of Vote Run Lead Action, held a fishbowl discussion on: Women’s Representation: Where Do We Go From Here?. This interactive workshop featured a short presentation on policies and system changes needed to modernize legislatures and expand women's representation. And, more importantly, audience members were invited to rotate into the inner circle to ask questions and share thoughts, creating a dynamic, collaborative discussion that reduced barriers between presenters and participants. Building a gender-balanced democracy does not, and should not, happen in ivory towers, and it was fantastic for everyone involved to have a free-flowing conversation on increasing women’s political representation.

Following the fishbowl, we, along with the team at FairVote hosted a reception celebrating women leaders in democracy reform! If there is a bright spot in our current democracy, it's the historic number of women at the helm of organizations who are actively and creatively looking to expand the tent and uplift the diverse voices and lived experiences in this country. It was so great to be surrounded by individuals leading the charge to make elected offices and the democracy reform space more representative.

In today’s turbulent political climate, it is up to us to create a more representative democracy. It was such an energizing experience to be surrounded by individuals committed to improving our government, and I am so proud of the RepresentWomen team for organizing such a thoughtful and engaging event. Special thanks to Tamaya who organized our terrific reception, to Tamaya & Tori who organized and spoke at the fishbowl presentation, and to Tori, Tamaya, & Steph who all spoke at the reception – I am so honored to work alongside them.

Pictured with Tori Pelletier, Ellen Weintraub, Luiba Grechen Shirley, Steph Scaglia, Tamaya Dennard, and Michelle Whittaker at the American Democracy Summit in Phoenix this week.

There are also a few milestones in women’s history I would like to mention this week. On May 12th, 1968, Coretta Scott King led the Mother's Day march for welfare rights. On May 14, 2014, Diane Humetewa became the first Native American woman to become a federal judge. And, on May 16, 1869, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony established the National Woman Suffrage Association. Birthdays this week include journalist Petula Dvorak, former CEO of the Women Donors Network Donna Hall, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and former Secretary of Commerce and Governor of Rhode Island Gina Raimondo. 

Madeleine Albright, painted by Melanie Humble

CAWP Report: “Progress Toward Gender Parity Stalled in Election 2024”

Source: Center for American Women and Politics

The invaluable Center for American Women in Politics this week released a new report about the stalled growth for women officeholders in the United States - but offered signs of hope. Findings from the report include:

• Election 2024 marked the first time since 2010 that the number of women in Congress dropped as a result of a regular election
• Underscoring differences by party, 19 of the 21 women who were non-incumbent winners of 2024 congressional elections are Democrats (16 of 18 new wins by women in the House and all three new women in the Senate)
• In the U.S. Senate, two Black women – Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) – are serving simultaneously for the first time in history after their victories in open seat races in 2024
• Although women’s state legislative representation is a new record high as of March (33.4% of all seats), the net gain in women’s state legislative representation in the 2024 elections was smaller than the gains resulting from elections in 2018, 2020, and 2022
• In 2025, two state legislatures – in Colorado and New Mexico – became majority-woman for the first time, joining Nevada
• As of March 2025, women match or exceed men’s representation in seven state legislative chambers – including Alaska

Advancement Project’s Judith Browne Dianis Wins Kettering Democracy Prize

With Judith and Michelle Whittaker at an Advancement Project event last year

I was thrilled to see that the Advancement Project’s long-time CEO Judith Browne Dianis is one of two inaugural winners of the Kettering Foundation’s Democracy Prize. From its news release:

“The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, which focuses on the needs of democracy worldwide and works to advance inclusive democracies around the globe, today announces the two inaugural winners of the Kettering Democracy Prize. Beginning this year, the foundation will give this award to honor and elevate the work of an individual or group that has gone beyond the ordinary to champion and defend inclusive democracy….

The two winners of the first Kettering Democracy Prize are Judith Browne Dianis and Alexei Navalny. Judith Browne Dianis is a lawyer, civil rights advocate and executive director of the nonprofit Advancement Project, which works with individuals, communities and organizations to strive for racial justice, fight voter ID laws, restore voting rights to those convicted of felonies and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline….. She has been with the Advancement Project since 1999 and has worked to thwart voter suppression, prevent the closure of polling locations and fight cuts to early voting. Dianis has documented the unnecessary criminalization of students in schools, where the majority of those arrested are students of color. She is a reliable voice for the poor and marginalized and has made it her life's work to speak up on their behalf, always with the goal of making our country fairer and more just.”

Earlier this month, Judith shared that she will be stepping down as head of the Advancement Project later this year. Here is an excerpt from Judith’s message to supporters:

“As I step away from this role, I do so with immense pride in what we’ve built together. I’ve watched Advancement Project grow from a team of three to a dynamic, Black women-led organization with over 40 brilliant, committed staff—movement lawyers, strategists, organizers, communicators, and administrative staff. We’ve trained a new generation of creative legal advocates, partnered with over 75 organizations in 18 states, and continued to innovate in our approach to movement lawyering.  We've built a leaderful organization that is ready for the next 25 years.”

Women Creating Change Report Spotlights Vital Role of Women in NYC Civic Life Amid Ongoing Barriers

Women Creating Change (WCC) has released a comprehensive report entitled "The Power of Participation: Women’s Voting and Civic Engagement in NYC." – here are excerpts from the report’s introduction and conclusion:

“As Women Creating Change celebrates 110 years of advancing women’s civic and political participation, this report examines the state of women’s democratic engagement in New York City, the barriers they face, and the policies needed to expand participation. Civic engagement extends beyond voting to include grassroots organizing, mutual aid, advocacy, and leadership in local communities. This report comes at a pivotal moment—when issues of gender equity, economic security, and democratic participation are at the forefront of policy making….

Women’s civic and political engagement is a cornerstone of a strong democracy, yet economic barriers, caregiving responsibilities, voter suppression, and systemic inequities continue to limit full participation. While women in New York City outvote men in elections, many women—particularly women of color, immigrants, and low-income earners—face structural barriers that hinder their ability to engage in traditional political processes such as running for office, participating in public meetings, or navigating complex voter registration requirements.

Women Sweep to Leadership in Major City in the Philippines

[Source: The Rappler]

The Philippines held mid-term and local elections this week. We plan to share what we learn about women' s representation, but wanted to share a triumph for women candidates in Iloilo City, with a population of nearly a half million people. From  Rappler:

“Women are set to take the reins of Iloilo City’s top elected positions with Raisa Treñas for mayor, Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda for district representative, and Lady Julie Grace “Love-Love” Baronda for vice mayor…. The eldest daughter of Mayor Jerry Treñas, Raisa campaigned on continuing her father’s legacy of infrastructure development, pandemic response, and good governance.”

Australia Election Aftermath: New Woman Party Leader and Talk of Gender Quotas

As reported last week, women had a simply remarkable election in Australia earlier this month - including women holding a large majority of seats both in the senate and in the caucus of the winning Australia Labor Party, with the ALP’s landslide win driven by an historically large gender gap. Within a fascinating article in SBS News on gender quota is an overview of results for women, summarized in the chart below, with women likely to win at least 45% of house seats this year.

Source: SBS News

The results won’t be finalized until next week, but already the conservative major party coalition (made up of the National Party and, misleadingly named, the larger Liberal Party) is taking steps as it grapples with losing dozens of seats in the last two elections to women independent candidates (the “teal” movement”) and women ALP candidates.

The Liberal Party has already chosen a new leader, Sussan Dey. Here’s a story on her win:

“Australia's Liberal Party has for the first time chosen a woman as its leader, with Sussan Ley to take over from Peter Dutton after he led the party to a bruising election loss. Ley, from the moderate faction of the party, beat Angus Taylor - who ran on a promise to restore conservative values …..

At the election on 3 May, the Liberal-National coalition, currently Australia's main opposition party, suffered what many are calling the worst defeat in its history. Pundits and MPs have blamed the result on polarizing leaders, a messy campaign and "Trumpian" policies, which alienated women and young people in particular.”

There also is a serious conversation about quotas in the Liberal Party, with the ALP having brought in quotes in 1994 that over the years contributed to success for women in the party and the party in general elections. Here’s the Guardian on “Deal with the women’s issue or enjoy oblivion’: conservative women on whether they can still call the Liberal party home”:

“Until last week’s federal election, Daria Taplin-Buck had always voted Liberal….Taplin-Buck, who describes herself as “conservative, but centre-right, not too rightwing”, wants to return to voting Liberal – her natural political home. But she says the party’s meagre policy offerings, lack of female representation – she would have voted Liberal if the party had fielded a female candidate in her seat – and Peter Dutton’s leadership all turned her off….

Taplin-Buck is emblematic of a vast and obvious problem facing the Liberal party, one that has prompted much discussion in the week since the Coalition’s thumping election loss: how to win back women. But she also represents a problem besetting conservative women: as the Liberal party has increasingly alienated, sidelined and lost the support of women, where do centre-right-voting, conservative-leaning women go? Can the Liberal party be their home any more?...

In 2021, Morrison, then prime minister, called for the party to consider quotas, supported by the Western Australian MP Melissa Price and NSW senator Andrew Bragg….This year’s election drubbing – projected to bring a new record of elected women – has the Liberal party talking about gender quotas again.

The NSW Liberal women’s council president, Berenice Walker, says she has historically been “resistant” to quotas, but now is the time for change. “It is evident that what we’re doing hasn’t moved the dial at all far enough, so I would now be open to looking at that [quotas],” she says. “The time for change within our party was years ago; we haven’t taken on board the learnings from past election reviews, and we’ve failed to refresh and grow the Liberal party brand….

[Charlotte Mortlock of Hilma’s Network] is a strong supporter of gender quotas. “You need the women at the table to generate the policy,” she says. “I’m not saying as soon as [voters] see a photo where [the party has] half women, half men, they’ll vote for us. I’m saying, we can’t come up with the policies if we don’t have the right people at the table.”

In Guardian Australia on Wednesday, the Liberal senator and former NSW Liberal president Maria Kovacic wrote: “Of course we should be considering quotas. This is not about ticking boxes – it’s about removing entrenched barriers and making space for talent we have long overlooked.”

Boston City Council Win Advances Ranked Choice Voting

RW partnerships & programs manager Victoria Pelletier with Ed Shoemaker who leads the work for RCV in Boston – celebrating the win at the American Democracy Summit in Phoenix.

RepresentWomen has found women candidates find ranked choice voting to be a welcome space for running, winning and serving. Under the leadership of council president Ruthzee Louijuene, the Boston city council took a giant step toward their city becoming the latest to adopt ranked choice voting. Here’s coverage of the council vote from Universal Hub.

“The Boston City Council voted 8-4 today for a measure that would let voters rank candidates in order of preference, which could change the way councilors and the mayor are elected. The proposed "ranked choice voting" request now goes to the mayor and, if she signs it, to the state legislature, which would have to approve a referendum for Boston voters on whether to shift to the system Cambridge has used for decades to elect its councilors. City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata (East Boston, Charlestown, North End), who led hearings on the proposal, says that this means the earliest Boston voters could get a new way to vote would be 2028 or 2029..,,,

Proponents say this would give voters more of a choice, because even if their first choice didn't win, their second might - and would help lessen the impact of big money on determining who gets elected. "It's an exciting day for democracy," said Council President Ruthzee Louijeune (at large), who proposed the idea.”

An American Pope and Pope Francis’ Legacy for Women in the Catholic Church

The selection of a new Pope was an all-male affair, but I greatly respect these words in support of peace from the newly elected Pope Leo XIV in his first Sunday address at the Vatican.

“Brothers and sisters, the immense tragedy of the Second World War ended 80 years ago, on May 8, after having caused 60 million victims. In today's dramatic scenario of a third world war in pieces, as Pope Francis has repeatedly stated, I too address the world's great powers by repeating the ever-present call ‘never again war!' I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people. Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible. May all prisoners and children be freed, may they return to their families. I am deeply saddened by what is happening in the Gaza Strip. May the fire cease immediately. May humanitarian aid be provided to the exhausted civilian population and all hostages be freed.”

I have seen all-male institutions change in my lifetime - including the U.S. Senate. America Jesuit Review had this story about Pope Francis’s impact on women in the leadership of the Catholic Church: Pope Francis has made women leaders at the Vatican. But in the hierarchy, resistance remains. An excerpt:

“Pope Francis has significantly increased the Vatican’s female workforce, including in high-ranking positions, but women face continued resistance from the all-male Catholic hierarchy to access leadership positions in the church, according to Vatican statistics and independent surveys released Wednesday. The data was released as Francis marked International Women’s Day by thanking women “for their commitment to building a more humane society, through their ability to grasp reality with a creative eye and a tender heart.”

Catholic women do the lion’s share of the church’s work in schools, hospitals and passing down the faith to future generations, but have long complained of a second-class status in an institution that reserves the priesthood for men. Beyond the words, Francis has overseen a marked increase in the number and percentage of women working at the Vatican in his 10 years as pope, from 19.3% in 2013 to 23.4% today, according to statistics reported by Vatican News.”

Cynthia Richie Terrell 

Founder and Executive Director, RepresentWomen

P.S. I have been reminded this week of the power of building relationships with fellow democracy reform travelers and the importance of fortifying ourselves for the work ahead with plenty of desserts – and beautiful sunsets too.

Plenty of 🫐 at our celebrating women leaders reception

We had lots of nice sweet treats to celebrate women leaders

And finally, a beautiful sunset at the end of a productive day at the American Democracy Summit in Phoenix, AZ