Earlier this month, President Donald Trump gave an address to Congress—the longest in recent history, at over 90 minutes of speaking time. Despite the lengthy speech, the president did not address the most pressing issues for most Americans: the skyrocketing cost of groceries, plummeting retirement funds, uncertainty in the job market, obstruction of voting access and dismantling the civil rights and public programs millions of individuals rely on.
Instead, Trump chose to make harmful remarks about the country’s most vulnerable populations. He blamed immigrants and trans people for rising corruption in towns and schools, respectively. He denied the fact that gender-affirming care is beneficial for a person’s mental health. He praised his Department of Government Efficiency in systemically removing language pertaining to women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities and many other marginalized groups.
Some members of Congress took a bold stance during the address to Congress—directly calling out the president’s policies in the room where it happens. Others are taking action in their own communities, organizing town halls and giving members of the public a chance to speak out. Regardless of their vote last November, many Americans are worried about this increasingly volatile political period.
During the same week as the president’s address to Congress, RepresentWomen held our annual Democracy Solutions Summit (DSS). This solutions-oriented event allowed us to imagine what our democracy could look like with better policies and better representation.
Here, women leaders, elected officials, advocates and experts discussed the problems facing our democracy and uplifted actionable solutions to improve women’s representation and strengthen our democracy overall. This year’s summit addressed the critical need for more women in local, state and federal leadership roles.
The Democracy Solutions Summit clearly contrasts with the uncertainty of Trump’s address to Congress. The DSS is the only democracy summit featuring only women speakers and panelists committed to actionable, data-driven solutions and building coalitions that bolster American democracy at this critical time. Furthermore, our research has found that when multiple structural solutions are combined, we can bolster women’s representation in every level of government.
Complete recordings of the summit are available online, but here is a quick recap of all three days.
Day 1: Laboratories of Democracy | Policy Solutions in Local Government
Day 1 of the 2025 Democracy Solutions Summit highlighted the critical role of local government. Local elected officials and policies heavily impact our daily lives, and every community has its own unique needs in order to form an effective, representative government. Democracy reform is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but policies including ranked choice voting and removing barriers to running for office are some of the ways we can create positive change.
RepresentWomen’s programs and partnerships manager Tamaya Dennard perfectly encapsulates the ethos of day one when she highlighted the need for various lived experiences to be represented in public office: “The thing that they think keeps women from running for office is probably the thing that makes them most qualified to run for office.”
Day 2: Effective State-Level Solutions
Day 2 of the Democracy Solutions Summit discussed state voting rights acts, fair legislative pay and using campaign funds for childcare or security. American democracy was designed by and for white men, so the current system largely supports them. By crafting policies that directly support and protect women candidates as they advance up the political ladder, we level the playing field and strengthen our democracy.
RepresentWomen’s research manager Marvelous Maeze emphasized the need for policy changes at the state level to pay legislators fairly: “Today’s state legislators are full-time policymakers who require adequate resources to effectively represent their constituents.”
Day 3: From Peak to Plateau | Building Women’s Political Power in Congress
On Day 3, speakers discussed the need for structural changes to ensure women’s political power at the federal level. While the federal political scene is filled with infighting, stubbornness, and inefficiency, our speakers highlighted transformative solutions to reduce friction, from the Fair Representation Act to implementing proxy voting to bipartisan cooperation.
Noted commentator Rina Shah said it best: “Women, as we all know, make up over half of our population. And yet we hold less than a third of congressional seats.” She also said,” When women aren’t at the table, as you all know, we lose perspectives that are vital to tackling our nation’s most pressing challenge.”
A Thriving Democracy Relies on Hope
The Democracy Solutions Summit reminds us to stay informed, stay hopeful and stay committed to working together to build a democracy where everyone can thrive, especially as our government rapidly changes. The federal government indeed receives the most media attention. Still, it should not distract from the meaningful and impactful work many people are doing directly in our own communities to ensure a healthy democracy.
This moment is pivotal in shaping the future of governance. Voting in every election, especially in down-ballot races, supporting policy solutions that help minorities in politics and enacting practical, scalable and transformative solutions all help create a democracy for the American people.
Civic participation today safeguards our civil rights and liberties for the future.
It is easy to feel powerless in today’s increasingly isolating world. However, by participating in democracy and advocating for policies that ensure others do the same, a brighter future is within our reach. Civic participation today safeguards our civil rights and liberties for the future. Ultimately, a healthy democracy is one where people of all backgrounds and perspectives can have a seat at the table.
At the Democracy Solutions Summit After Hours event, held virtually March 25 and hosted by the Women’s Power Collaborative, attendees discussed the state of democracy and powerful moments from the summit, asked questions and built community. Email info@representwomen.org to receive a recording.
