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With the holiday season approaching, it's crucial to strengthen our communities and support survivors of violence. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25th) kicks off 16 Days of Activism, a global campaign to address gender-based violence and oppression. According to the United Nations, nearly one in three women experience violence in their lifetime. Launched in 1991 at the Women’s Global Leadership Institute, these 16 days are dedicated to calling attention to the systems of gender-based violence and oppression that impact women across the globe.

According to the United Nations, “nearly  one in three women experience violence in their lifetime. Girls are at particular risk of violence—1 in 4 adolescent girls is abused by their partners.” 

Women who can run for political office are up against systems that are not set up to protect them and often face harassment and threats both online and in person. Pivotal Ventures and Cosmopolitan released a poll earlier this year sharing the not-so-surprising statistics from women about women seeking elected office in the United States: 

Forty percent of Gen Z women (compared with 25 percent of boomer women and 30 percent of both Gen X and millennial women) say threats to physical safety are a problem for women in local elected office. Thirty-six percent (compared with 21 percent of boomers and about 29 percent of both Gen X and millennials) say the same about threats to psychological safety.

The combination of inflexible hours and low pay creates significant challenges for women running for office. To address this, we must support individual candidates and advocate for systemic reforms that promote gender parity in our political system. For more on voter demand for women candidates, check out my Huffington Post interview.

This week’s Weekend Reading covers the results of Alaska’s RCV ballot measure and other RCV initiatives nationwide, the record number of women running for office in Ireland, and the barriers women face running for office in the United States and South Sudan.

Ranked Choice Voting: Examining Results Across the Country

Source: RepresentWomen 

This past election, six states, four cities, and Washington D.C. all had Ranked Choice Voting on the ballot -- a systems reform that supports women candidates. We produced a voter guide explaining how RCV can foster a more representative government alongside many of our partners and allies who did direct outreach to voters in these states. While we didn't achieve all the results for RCV that we had hoped for, we know changing institutions takes time. This setback will not deter us from continuing to champion these crucial reforms in the future.

FairVote CEO Meredith Sumpter and senior legal fellow G. Michael Parsons write in Democracy Takes: 

On Election Day, the number grew yet again, but we also fell far short of what we had hoped. RCV won majority support in every city where it was on the ballot, including a resounding 73% win in Washington, D.C. – even sweeping every single precinct. Well over 3 million Americans voted for RCV ballot measures. But statewide measures in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon fell in a polarized election year where voters bypassed nearly all non-partisan political reform measures.  

Any organization working to advance meaningful reforms will eventually face losses, particularly with an increasingly well-organized national opposition and pushback from entrenched state and local interests. But that doesn’t mean you pack up and go home. On the contrary, the deep problems in our democracy that RCV can help solve remain: Voters are see-sawing from one party to another, looking for an answer amid their overall frustration and feeling that politicians don’t care about people like them. 

RCV Preserved in Alaska by Fewer Slim Majority 

Source: RepresentWomen 

Alaska is one of only two states that use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in statewide elections! This year, a fiercely contested ballot measure sought to repeal RCV after its first full cycle of use. In a testament to the power of every vote, RCV prevailed in Alaska by fewer than 700 votes statewide. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) commented on the outcome saying “I am pleased that our open primary and ranked choice voting systems have been retained, ensuring that Alaskans will continue to have a broader opportunity for choice in the electoral process.”

Eric Stone and Liz Ruskin of Alaska Public Media write: 

The ballot measure that would repeal Alaska’s open primary and ranked choice voting system is now failing by the narrowest of margins, according to the latest results update from the Division of Elections on Monday.

Out of 314,056 ballots counted so far, “No” on Ballot Measure 2 now leads by 192 votes, 50.03% to 49.97%. 

The flip follows the tallying of nearly 4,000 more votes on Monday. Election officials are still counting ballots through Wednesday and estimate there are roughly 7,800 ballots outstanding.

Proportional Ranked Choice Voting Leads to Wins for Women in Portland, OR

Dave Daley, Salon

Portland, OR used the proportional form of ranked choice voting in its city elections this November and the results were very encouraging – here is a summary from FairVote: “Portland voters elected a historically diverse and gender-balanced City Council. Portland’s Council will be half women, and have five members of color, roughly matching the demographics of the city. The council will also have three members who rent their homes, and the councilmember-elects’ ages range from 28 to 70.” 

Dave Daley reports on the representative outcomes in Salon:

“For working people and communities of color, there was a huge disconnect between who got elected and who voters felt could actually represent them,” says Candace Avalos, an environmental justice activist also seeking a District 1 seat. “Having three seats in each district expands choices for voters.”

“We’re going to have a seat at the table,” adds Routh, a favorite to even become the next council president, a stunning leap for these perpetually underrepresented neighborhoods. “Our lack of political power is evident in the lack of infrastructure, the way that this part of the city has just been left behind. I'm hoping that what we're going to see is people being motivated to participate in our democracy again.”

The Complicated Road to Electing a Woman President

Credit: Melanie Humble

The United States has yet to elect a woman president, despite significant successes by women in down-ballot races during the 2024 election cycle. There is no single, defining reason why a woman has not yet ascended to the highest office, nor is there a “perfect” formula for the ideal female presidential candidate. This piece from POLITICO Magazine features essays from several women, highlighting the unique challenges that Vice President Harris and other women running for office nationwide face as they navigate the political arena.

Kate Manne writes in Women Leaders Have to Walk Too High of a Tightrope in the Electoral System in POLITICO Magazine: 

America hasn’t had a female president yet — in contrast to so many other nations — because of a combination of sexism and misogyny, together with the nature of our electoral processes. Sexism, according to my definition, encompasses beliefs and ideas that say that women are less competent than men when it comes to traditionally masculine authority positions like the presidency. Misogyny includes the desires and social movements that keep women in their place, and actively punishes those who are seen as not staying in their lane, for example in having an ambition to be president. Even though sexism is on the wane in some sectors of society, misogyny remains a prevalent force, even when it is unconscious. People don’t know why they don’t trust a particular woman, but they nonetheless find her abrasive, shrill, suspicious, untrustworthy or similar. And then it happens again and again with female candidate after female candidate.

Record Number of Women Running in Ireland's 2024 General Election

Credit RepresentWomen

A record 247 women are running in Ireland's upcoming general election, representing a 53% increase from 2020. This surge follows the implementation of a gender quota that mandates at least 40% male and female candidates, with non-compliance resulting in reduced state funding. Our research underscores that gender quotas with strong enforcement are a key strategy for accelerating gender balance in governance. Learn more about gender quotas on our website.

Kevin Sharkey from BBS News reports:A record number of women candidates are registered to stand in this month's general election in the Republic of Ireland, according to a campaign group.

Figures released by Women for Election suggest 247 women are running for seats across the country - a 53% increase on the last election in 2020.

The group analysed nominations published by the returning officers in all 43 constituencies, and described the figures as "phenomenal."

Nominations closed on Saturday. A total of 685 candidates will contest the election, which will be held on 29 November.

Dialogue in Juba Highlights Barriers and Progress in Women’s Leadership and Political Participation

Credit: RepresentWomen

A three-day intergenerational dialogue in Juba on women’s leadership and political participation brought to light the ongoing challenges posed by gender norms and cultural beliefs. Stereotypes that confine women to domestic roles continue to limit their involvement in leadership. Rachael Hakim, founder of GoGo Play South Sudan, stressed the importance of grassroots awareness and accessible education in empowering women and amplifying their political voices.

 Radio Tamazuj reports:

“There are always stereotypes that women are not capable of participating in or even influence while in leadership,” she explained. “The other stereotype is that women should only play a role in their homes or take care of children and only as housewives. So, the stereotypes limiting women’s participation in politics need to be addressed.”

For her part, the founder of GoGo Play South Sudan, Rachael Hakim, urged the transitional government to create more awareness for women, especially at the grassroots level, so that their voices are heard.

“Creating more awareness is important for women to participate in politics. The government should encourage the participation of women in politics because women’s voices need to be heard,” she stated. “The government should also create enough chances for women through free schooling and increase their awareness that women can participate in the political process.”

I attended the Rising Star Awards hosted by Future Caucus where Representative-elect Sarah McBride (D-DE) gave a beautiful keynote address.

From this week’s New York Times….

Cynthia Richie Terrell

Founder and Executive Director, RepresentWomen

P.S. 

You're invited to RepresentWomen's End-of-Year Call on December 4th. Join us as we celebrate our accomplishments in advancing women's representation and discuss our plans for the future. Celebrate women's leadership and set your own goals for 2025 with our Visionary Women's Planner. Order yours now!