Breaking the glass

During the 2008 presidential election cycle, we were inundated with analyses of the status of gender in politics. The historic candidacies of Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton forced a dialogue about the ways we perceive women leaders. However, the inspiring prominence of these two candidates—and women like them—masks the continuing representational gap between women and men. In the last 15 years, the number and stature of women in the highest levels of political office have skyrocketed. It is, however, a fallacy to believe that this progress is adequate.

According to the National Women’s Political Caucus, at the current rate, gender parity will not be achieved for another 200 years. Currently, there are only 73 female representatives, 17 female senators, and six female governors. New York is among the 27 states never to have elected a female governor. Going forward into the November elections, there are no women running for the top four city positions. Women fare only slightly better in the New York State Legislature, where they comprise 20 percent of members. While the discussion of gender parity in politics may have died down after the presidential election, the issue has not lost its relevance or importance.

The underrepresentation of women in political decision-making is problematic outside of its violation of progressive equity values. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Only women in power would consider the needs of women without power.” Women tend to take into consideration the needs of diverse communities in determining policy priorities. This tendency has no real correlation with political party: a Rutgers University study found that Republican women are more likely to work on bills aiding women than Democratic men. Since 1992, when substantial numbers of women were first elected to Congress, the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues has developed many policies proactively addressing women’s concerns, including the Women’s Health Equity Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) clarified the importance of women’s representation, saying, “It wasn’t that men were against these changes. They just hadn’t considered the issue before because they hadn’t experienced the problem in their own lives. As women have become a part of the system, that’s changing.”

In spite of these changes, the continuing necessity for parity has been manifest in the health care debate. As mandates for coverage were being considered, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) stated, “I don’t need maternity care. And, so requiring that to be on my insurance policy is something that I don’t need and will make the policy more expensive,” ignoring the obvious community benefits of maternity care. Fortunately, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) stood up for community interests, immediately reminding Kyl that, while he might never be able to avail himself of maternity care, assuredly, his mother had need of such services. It is crucial to advance women’s political leadership to ensure that there is a voice in the room to stand up for the needs of women and families.

The question, then, is how best to foster women’s political leadership. Women face significant challenges resulting from cultural perceptions of leadership, and from insufficient candidate recruitment (women are 40 percent less likely than men to be recruited). Marie Wilson posits that the best way to overcome these challenges is for women to foster mentoring relationships and support networks for each other, enabling them to advance to higher career levels.

There are many organizations working on a national level to advance women’s political leadership. Among them is Wilson’s White House Project, a non-partisan organization working to further women’s leadership in all fields, but especially in politics. Its “Vote, Run, Lead” workshops have produced over a hundred female candidates, and have opened up networking opportunities for countless others. Wilson will be speaking about the White House Project, and opportunities for finally breaking the political glass ceiling on Thursday October 1, at 6:00 p.m. in the James Room, Barnard Hall.

At Barnard and Columbia, there are several organizations working to advance women’s leadership. Barnard is in the process of overhauling its Athena Center for Leadership Studies, set to launch in January. There are two organizations which work primarily on women’s political leadership. Smart Women Lead was formed in 2004 as Smart Women Vote, a spin-off program of the White House Project. The club provides career information, networking opportunities, and informal mentoring relationships to its members. This fall, Alma’s List, the women’s caucus of Columbia University College Democrats was formed. The List aims to support Democratic women’s candidacies. The efforts of these organizations are crucial, as the college years are when the disparity between women and men’s political participation first appears, with twice as many men participating in politics as women.

Those looking to learn more should consult Marie Wilson’s book, “Closing the Leadership Gap”, from which this article draws heavily, and attend the speech on Thursday. Further resources can be found on the Center for American Women and Politics Institute’s Web site.

The author is a junior in Barnard College majoring in political science and French.