Login
Do you want to drive change? Want to have a say in ongoing policy debates about housing and small business issues? Want to amplify the voices of women offering bold solutions when those issues are on the table? Then maybe you should run for office!
The old saying about what matters in real estate – “location, location, location” – applies just as well to politics. Washington, D.C. veterans have also been heard to say, “If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu.” And at the tables where critical, life-altering decisions are made, women have often failed to secure choice locations.
Women who own small businesses or work in the housing industry are experts at solving problems, creating innovative programs, managing complex organizations, and communicating with the public. You know first-hand that local institutions have the most direct influence and impact on our daily lives. At the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), we know that women bring different perspectives and experiences to their careers in public service, which changes the way government works.
We also know that when women run for political office, they win just as easily as men. The problem: Not enough women run for office. This dearth of women candidates means that far too many governing bodies lack the diversity of voices needed to represent all perspectives in our communities.
Although a record number of women serve in Congress, there is a slight decrease in women mayors and women lawmakers from previous years. So why is change moving so slowly, and even reversing in some places?
To continue reading, click here.
*The following post is an excerpt from Trends for Women in Politics: Growth is Slow and We Need More Women Like You by Kelly Dittmar and Jean Sinzdak, Center for American Women and Politics.