More Than A Magazine, A Movement
As of this month, 46 cities have adopted ranked-choice voting (RCV), which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.
On Election Day earlier this month, 11 of these RCV cities across six states held elections, and RCV has proven once again to yield positive outcomes for women.
Just nine women currently serve as governor in the United States—a “record” first set in 2004 and achieved two additional times, but yet to be broken. In over 200 years that this nation has existed, only 45 women total have been elected as governors.
This year, there are 25 women running for governor. Women’s ability to adapt and navigate through times of uncertainty makes women exceptionally qualified leaders, thus demonstrating the need for more women governors.
State attorneys general are touted as the “people’s lawyers”—yet the majority are white and male.
The office of attorney general is the central legal division of the states and exists in all 50 states. Attorneys general dictate the state’s law enforcement priorities as well as where resources flow. Almost half of all U.S. states have never had a woman in the role.
Ever since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June, the national gaze has shifted towards state-level leadership.
The secretary of state is vital to the effective functioning of state government. Responsibilities of the secretary of state vary but, overall, administering election law is one of their most pertinent duties. Only 22 percent of our nation’s secretaries of state are women. In 2022, 27 states are holding elections for the position of secretary of state.
Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation.
This week: U.S. women’s soccer team officially secures equal pay; Black women win big at the Emmys; how ranked-choice voting would help women candidates compete in New York City; and more.
RepresentWomen’s Gender Parity Index (GPI), which weighs women’s representation at the national, state and local levels, shows how incremental and sporadic progress for gender balance truly is. According to this year’s Index, there are no states that have reached gender parity — a basement metric if we’re to call ourselves a truly reflective 21st century democracy. A majority of states earned a “D” grade for women’s representation in government, further proving that we are not even close to fully cheering “shattered ceilings” or taking victory laps for national “broken records.”
