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!
I am incredibly excited to announce that RepresentWomen’s 2024 Gender Parity Index is now live! This marks the 11th year of this project, which is close to my heart. Our dedicated research team has worked tirelessly to compile scores and rankings for all 50 states. Check out your state grade below!
Some key findings from the 2024 GPI:
- There are two “A” grade states: Maine and Oregon.
- Twelve states earned a commendable “B,” with Michigan 0.5 points away from achieving gender parity and New Mexico, one of the case studies in our report on compensation commissions, coming in fourth.
- Alaska is the top “C” state and is less than a point away from a “B” rating. Between 2022 and 2023, Alaska moved from a D state, scoring 21 points, to a C state—scoring 32 points! Thanks to the narrow approval of ranked-choice voting in 2020, Alaskans made history by electing their first woman to Congress and the state’s first woman as lieutenant governor.
- For the first time ever, there are no “F” states in the 2024 Gender Parity Index. After eight consecutive years of scoring under 10 points, Louisiana earned its first “D” grade and moved up to 45th place.
While the U.S. has made strides, with an average score of 27, we’re still more than halfway from parity. In fact, this year, fewer than half of states reached that midpoint, a decline from 2023. Women remain significantly underrepresented at every level, and the United States continues to lag behind most established democracies in electing women to office. To sustain progress, we need solutions that enable more women to run, win, serve, and lead. RepresentWomen prioritizes our research and coalition-building to imagine a democracy where we feel genuinely represented.
In this week’s Weekend Reading, we highlight some possible women contenders who could become Kamala Harris’ vice presidential nominee, issues facing women in down-ballot races, and more updates on our 2024 Seneca Falls town hall.
A Two-Women Presidential Ticket Would Help Democracy Thrive
Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to become the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States. One of her first tasks is to select who is to become her running mate. With an announcement set for Tuesday, all eyes are on who she selects to possibly fill the role she currently holds. Many of the names publicly circulated have left a lot the names of talented women leaders who have served their communities at the state and national levels.
Laura McGann of the Washington Post writes:
Picking a “safe” White man wouldn’t suggest a break from the past; selecting another woman would.
None of this is to say that sexism doesn’t exist in America. It does. So much so that if Harris runs with a woman, she would avoid the uncomfortable reality that a man serving under a woman is still more awkward and mockable than a woman doing the same.
Two women on the ticket wouldn’t win over the voters whom the blue team simply can’t win. A die-hard Trump supporter is going to vote for Trump no matter what. And a voter who wouldn’t vote for two women probably wouldn’t vote for one woman either. But these are not reasons to overlook some strong possible female contenders.
European Union Struggles to Meet Gender Balance Goal
The 2024 Gender Parity Index found that there is plenty of room for progress towards gender balance in U.S, and there may be a similar case in Europe. Jorge Valero and Ewa Krukowska’s article in The Japan Times covers European Union’s struggle to meet its gender balance goals among its highest-level members. Influential figures in Brussels are backing away from equality commitments, creating significant barriers. The European Commission and European Parliament have both failed to uphold their equality targets.
Democracy and the lives of its citizens thrive when women are in power. Check out our research library for ways to build women’s political power in the U.S. and abroad.
The European Union’s executive arm is set to miss a target to achieve gender balance among its highest-level members, as national governments around the world and power brokers in Brussels walk away from high-profile equality commitments.
Political expediency and institutional hurdles have complicated EU efforts to meet wide-ranging gender-parity goals.
As well as the European Commission’s failure to uphold its equality targets, the European Parliament decided to rescind its own rules among certain committee members.
The failure in the EU to uphold its equality targets mimics a similar trend in the U.S., where conservative organizations have organized social media campaigns and lawsuits against companies that promote diverse hiring practices.
In Europe, nationalist parties have gained support in recent elections, forcing the political center to shift further right.
“EU decision makers have a legal obligation to ensure equality between women and men and gender mainstreaming in EU policies. This should start by an equal representation of women and men in all European Parliament Committees,” said Jeromine Andolfatto, policy and campaigns officer at the European Women’s Lobby. “The exceptions granted are disappointing.”
As Hopes of the First Woman President Rise, Women Candidates Down the Ballot Fall
While Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign has revitalized hopes for the first woman president, there are fewer women running for competitive, state and local level positions. The number of women running for the House of Representatives has dropped from 583 in 2020 and 2022 to 466 in 2024, with women making up less than 27 percent of all House candidates. This decline may be due to inconsistent support and targeted recruitment efforts. Perceived gender roles and fewer women in local governments contribute to the gap.
For a more comprehensive account of the status of women’s representation, check out our newly released 2024 Gender Partity Index.
Emily Ngo from Politico reports:
“Politics is a rough game, and some people don’t want to engage,” Gillen told Playbook.
“There probably are a lot of deterrents for women,” she added, recalling that she was harassed last cycle, her address posted on social media and her children placed in potential danger.
The gender gap in campaigns wasn’t always this stark.
There were 583 women running for the House in both 2020 and 2022, but just 466 this year, according to data compiled by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
Women currently account for less than 27 percent of all House candidates.
Why the drop? There was a Democratic mobilization after 2016 when former President Donald Trump was elected, and a reactive GOP push in 2018, but “it may be that the inconsistency in attention — whether by donors, by media or others — to targeted recruitment and support for women has affected the candidate numbers this year,” CAWP Director of Research Kelly Dittmar suggested.
Black Women: Unsung HERoes of Civic Leadership
Black women have long been active participants in civic life by consistently voting, campaigning, and serving as poll workers. But historically (and today), Black voices have been unfairly left out of conversations that drive change.
That stops now. Here at RepresentWomen, we are committed to uplifting the policies, systems reforms, voices, and solutions that empower Black women to be centered in this movement and given equitable opportunities to lead. Our 2024 brief Breaking Barriers for Black Women Candidates identifies three key barriers Black women face when running for office and presents actionable solutions to empower more Black women to run, win, serve.
Tamaya Dennard, Marvelous Maeze, Victoria Pelletier, and Ashley Thurston write in “Invisible Heroes: The Erasure of Black Women at Seneca Falls“:
Each time Black women navigate the political landscape, we are acutely aware of our marginalized history within this space. The fight for women’s suffrage overlooked our existence, denying us the full recognition and rights afforded to others. While we celebrate the legacy of Seneca Falls and strive to increase women’s representation, we must also confront the enduring question of Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a woman?”
Our rights, voices, and votes are integral to the fabric of this nation. Black women have been the backbone of social and political progress, and our tireless efforts and sacrifices are undeniable. It is imperative that we are centered in this movement and given equitable opportunities to lead. The time for tokenism is over. We demand a seat at the table, not just a place in the margins.
Quick Trip to the Wolverine State for a Conversation about State Legislative Modernization
Last week research director Courtney Lamendola and I had a quick trip to Detroit to convene with allies to discuss strategies to advance state legislative modernization. It was wonderful to see dear friends Erin Vilardi from Vote Run Lead, Mandara Meyers from The States Project, and the dynamic duo of Sarah Hague and Liuba Grechen Shirley from the Vote Mama team and to meet new allies like the fabulous Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks.
When I got to my gate at the airport I heard a familiar voice and it turned out that the venerable pollster and all around amazing woman leader Celinda Lake was on the same flight back to D.C. We had a great time catching up. Stay tuned for more on this project in the weeks and months to come!
Pick Your Presidential Dream Team
The Washington Post opinion piece inspired this week’s RCV poll: Who would you want to see as the next female vice president?
Kamala Harris-Themed Spotify Playlist: ‘It’s Kamencing’
Enjoy our curated playlist—because is it even a party if the glass ceiling isn’t shattered?
RepresentWomen Takes on the DNC!
RepresentWomen is thrilled to announce that we will be at the Democratic National Convention this year. We are excited to be in a room buzzing with important discussions about the future of our democracy. Stay tuned for details on an event we are hosting at the convention on Aug. 20—and let us know if you will be in Chicago and would like to rendezvous!
That’s all for this week. Enjoy your weekend!
Up next:
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