Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world—with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment!
This week has been challenging for our country. In the coming months leading up to the November elections, my earnest wish is for the safety and stability of our democracy,and for our nation to unite in upholding the principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
CivicPulse has found that 1 in 6 elected officials are threatened during their tenure in public office. Women, Black women in particular, all too often are the victims of gender and race-based interpersonal violence as a result of their position. Just a few months ago, Maryland Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks’ campaign signs were vandalized with hateful, threatening messages.
Our partners at Vote Run Lead have created VRL HQ, a new comprehensive resource hub on campaigning, fundraising, voter engagement and strategies to help you win your race for public office. These tools also include a specific collection on campaign safety.
Women Who Have Been Targets of Political Violence Condemn Shooting at Trump Rally
Concerns of political violence are on the rise after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Women who have experienced political violence, such as former Rep. Gabby Giffords, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, condemned the attack on former President Donald Trump. Other lawmakers, including Rep. Steve Scalise, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, also denounced the violence and expressed relief that Trump was not seriously injured.
Political violence is terrifying. I know.
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) July 13, 2024
I’m holding former President Trump, and all those affected by today’s indefensible act of violence in my heart. Political violence is un-American and is never acceptable—never.
Jennifer Gerson and Mel Leonor Barclay of The 19th wrote:
Addressing reporters in Delaware, Biden said: “Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. It’s one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.”
Biden concluded by emphatically denouncing political violence, saying: “But the bottom line is that the Trump rally was a rally that should have been able to be conducted peacefully without any problem. But the idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of. It is just not appropriate. And we — everybody — everybody must condemn it. Everybody.”
Harris said in a statement: “Doug and I are relieved that he is not seriously injured. We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting.
“We are grateful to the United States Secret Service, first responders, and local authorities for their immediate action.”
“Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.“
Women and Democracy: Insights From Mexican Elections
We are thrilled to announce the inaugural episode of our new International Election Series, which focuses on the pivotal role of women in shaping democratic processes globally. In it, RepresentWomen’s communications director Ashley Thurston, international research manager Fatma Tawfik, and Mexican scholar Georgina De la Fuente interviewed Jennifer Piscopo and Catherine Reyes-Housholder about the historic Mexican elections.
Earlier this year, Claudia Sheinbaum won a landmark election as the country’s first woman president. In this episode, we delve into the recent Mexican elections, explore the significance of Sheinbaum’s’s victory for the nation, and examine the broader implications for global democracies.
Stay tuned for Part II of the conversation after President Sheinbaum’s first 100 days in office.
Fatma and Georgina wrote in an op-ed about the election for Ms.:
Although there is still a long way to go to achieve substantive gender parity in public life, Mexico’s progress can and should be a valuable lesson to the U.S. Mexico has accomplished what the U.S. has not, including its first woman president and gender-balanced national and local legislatures. The U.S. must recognize Mexico’s work to remove systemic barriers that women face when running.
Happening in Alaska: Unique Political Cooperation Driven by Ranked-Choice Voting
A new opinion piece in the Seattle Times by Senator Cathy Giessel and Senator Matt Claman from the Alaska legislature highlights their state’s unique political cooperation. They credit Alaska’s voter demographics, which feature a significant number of unaffiliated voters, and attribute this success to the state’s open primary and ranked-choice voting system that was introduced in 2022. These systems encourage candidates to appeal to a broader electorate, fostering civility and collaboration.
Another reason the “Alaska Model” works so well is our system of open primaries combined with ranked-choice general elections. With strong support from unaffiliated voters, Alaska approved a ballot measure for open primaries and ranked-choice generals in 2020. Voters can “pick one” from the entire list of candidates in the primary, with the top four candidates going forward to the general election, regardless of political affiliation. In the general election, voters can rank their preferences, and a candidate must garner 50%+1 of the vote to win. If no candidate reaches the 50%+1 threshold, then the lowest-ranking candidate is eliminated, and their second-choice votes are distributed. The ranked-choice system encourages civility in our elections because candidates must appeal to all voters, not just a small base that belongs to their party. In multicandidate races, the system favors candidates who gather second-place votes from other candidates on either side of the political spectrum.
While some people believe this favors one party over another, the effects of ranked-choice voting are apparent in Alaska’s 2022 election results. That year, in the first statewide election using open primary/ranked-choice general election, Alaskans chose a far-right Republican governor, a more moderate Republican for the U.S. Senate and, for the first time in decades, a moderate Democratic Alaska Native woman for the U.S. House.
Gender Balance at Paris Olympics
For the first time, the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics will have gender balance, with equal primetime coverage for men’s and women’s events and the women’s marathon concluding the games. The rise in women’s sports has also been seen in record-breaking viewership and attendance in various sports, which is expected to generate over $1 billion in revenue for women’s elite sports in 2024.
System reforms like Title IX have helped advance gender equality in sports. The same can be done for women in politics. Check out our website for data-driven solutions to building women’s political power.
In 1964, women accounted for only 13% of athletes; their participation grew to 23% in 1984, 44% i2012,12 and 48% in 2020. By comparison, in 19,00 when Paris first hosted the Games, only 22 female athletes (2.2%) participated in just two sports: tennis and golf.
In Paris, there will be 329 medal events,152 of them will be for women and 20 will be mixed gender. In addition, 28 of the 32 sports will be fully gender balanced. Governing body IOC has asked that for the Opening Ceremonies each nation have at least one female and one male athlete as the flag bearer. The Olympics are also improving the coverage of female events. The IOC will schedule equal prime-time coverage of men and women events.
FairVote Releases Results from Presidential Poll Using Ranked-Choice Voting
Our sister organization FairVote released results from its poll with SurveyUSA that show that Vice President Kamala Harris leads the candidates to be the Democratic nominee should President Joe Biden decide to withdraw from the race.
Toplines from the poll include:
- Harris has both deep and broad support. She is the first choice of 37% of likely Democratic and independent voters; she continues to consolidate support in a ranked-choice voting tabulation. Harris ultimately wins with 68% and her strongest opponent, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, receives 32%.
- Harris is a strong consensus candidate, ranked in the top 3 choices by 56% of Democratic and independent voters. Other candidates commonly ranked in voters’ top three choices include Whitmer (31%) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (29%).
- Harris is the most popular first-choice candidate for both women and men, across every racial group, and across every age group among likely Democratic and independent voters.
- In a ranked-choice poll for a Harris running mate, Buttigieg bests Whitmer 52-48%, within the poll’s credibility interval. Buttigieg also has the most first-choice support.
The FairVote/SurveyUSA poll also showed strong support for ranked-choice voting among those polled – especially among younger and more liberal voters.
176th Anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention
This weekend marks the 176th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, where women, and a few great men, gathered in Seneca Falls, New York to organize the first women’s rights convention in the United States. Here, women, abolitionists, Quakers, and Seneca Falls community members came together to debate issuesdirectly impacting the lives of women. This two-day convention resulted in the Declaration of Sentiments, where over 100 women signed the pioneering document advocating for equity between men and women, a woman’s right to own property, divorce, cast a ballot, and more.
We at RepresentWomen firmly believe that the diverse perspectives and lived experiences women bring to the political arena are a matter of fairness and a vital step towards building a thriving democracy.
We are committed to significant efforts to ensure gender balance to ensure that women have the opportunity to run and succeed in the 2028 presidential election and beyond. This fall, join us by signing our 2024 Seneca Falls Presidential Pledge and collaborating with our efforts to amplify the inclusion of women in the next presidential election. Additionally, we will recreate the two-day convention by hosting the 2024 Seneca Falls Town Hall, inclusive of all women, as we amplify the critical need for increased representation of women in our presidential elections.
What Would You Like to See at Our 2024 Seneca Falls Town Hall?
Take the ranked-choice poll here.
Last week my oldest child turned 30 and my niece had a baby boy—it was wonderful to gather with family for lunch at the Valley Green Inn in Philadelphia to celebrate!
While my garden is pretty parched from the excessive heat in Washington, D.C., there are enough blossoms to support a lot of hummingbirds and bees.
P.S. We’re getting ready to release the 2024 Gender Parity Index! Every year, the RepresentWomen’s research team assigns each state a Gender Parity Score, letter grade, and ranking according to their proximity to parity. Read our 2023 on women’s representation in American politics here.
Up next:
U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. For as little as $5 each month, you’ll receive the print magazine along with our e-newsletters, action alerts, and invitations to Ms. Studios events and podcasts. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.
