Author: RepresentWomen

RepresentWomen’s mission is to strengthen U.S. democracy by advancing reforms that break down barriers to ensure more women can run, win, serve and lead. The team engages in research to track the status of women’s representation in the U.S. and abroad, understand the underlying reasons women are underrepresented, and find evidence-based solutions to mitigate the problem.

Fifteen Years of Galentine’s Day: A Celebration of Women, Friendship and Power

Galentine’s Day, first introduced in Parks and Recreation 15 years ago, has become a powerful celebration of female friendships, mentorship, and support. More than just a fun tradition, it highlights the importance of women uplifting each other in a world that often overlooks these bonds. This day reminds us that when women come together—whether in friendship or leadership—they create meaningful change. As we celebrate, we reaffirm our commitment to empowering women and fostering a more representative democracy.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation; Jimmy Carter’s Legacy and Women’s Political Power, a Look Back and Ahead

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week, we cover President Jimmy Carter’s legacy, activist Fannie Lou Hamer receiving a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, milestones in the U.S. Congress, the rising number of women serving in state-level governments, and the impact of the Jan. 6 insurrection on women members of Congress. 

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Advice to Our Younger Selves on International Day of the Girl; Restlessness Until Freedom

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: The RepresentWomen staff shares advice with their younger selves, reflections on the meaning of girlhood, and their visions for a more gender-balanced world; today’s girls are tomorrow’s women leaders; honoring Fannie Lou Hamer’s legacy as a civil rights pioneer; and more.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: It Will Take 137 Years to Lift All Women Out of Poverty; U.S. Women Still Waiting for Equal Protection Under Law

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: At current rates, it will take 137 years to lift all women and girls out of poverty; Fannie Lou Hamer’s legacy; women make up 53 percent of voters, yet their rights remain vulnerable without the Equal Rights Amendment; and more.

Six Decades of Fighting for Women in Politics: Cynthia Richie Terrell, Founder of RepresentWomen

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! The Weekend Reading began on Oct. 9, 2014, and was first formed as a listserv to share information on research, events and articles on strategies to advance women in politics. Released every Friday, the popular column has been online on Ms. almost every week now for four years.

In this special edition, we journey through founder and executive director of RepresentWomen Cynthia Richie Terrell’s writings that prove her heart in this work, take a trip through memory lane through her beloved pictures, and, more importantly, engage with RepresentWomen by supporting her team’s fundraising efforts to advance women’s representation and leadership in the United States.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: France’s Second-Ever Woman PM Resigns; Threats to Nutrition Program for Low-Income Women and Children

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week:the potential risk to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); France’s prime minister Élisabeth Borne resigns after less than two years in office; St. Paul, Minn., elects an historic all-women city council using ranked-choice voting; and more.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Michigan Leads the Way to Gender-Balanced Democracy; Wins for Native Women

It’s almost the weekend, which means it’s time for our Weekend Reading series—so pour yourself a glass of wine, curl up under that blanket, and catch up on the latest in women’s representation in the U.S. and abroad.

This week: Michigan’s state legislature is roughly 40 percent women, and ranked-choice voting passed in three cities; how women’s equality and leadership thrived among many Native American nations; America Ferrera keeps it real with the BBC; and more.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Rep. Abigail Spanberger Is Running for Virginia Governor; Voter Choice Act Reintroduced in the Senate

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom’s announcement to run for Alaska’s one seat in the House of Representatives; Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) has launched a campaign to run for governor, hoping to succeed Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin; the Voter Choice Act would help local and state elections implement ranked-choice voting; and more.

Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation: Ranked-Choice Voting Victories in the Latest Election; The SAG-AFTRA Strike and Fran Drescher’s Leadership

Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation. 

This week: Four steps we must take to see more women running in future elections; St. Paul, Minn., which uses ranked-choice voting for local elections, is projected to elect its first women-majority city council; how Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman in the U.S., shifted political rival Alabama Governor George Wallace’s stance on racial segregation; and more.