Women in Government

You might know . . .

Congress now has more women than ever.

But maybe you’ve never thought about . . .

The United States is still far from equal when it comes to representation of women in government, lagging behind much of the rest of the world. Rates of representation for women of color are far lower than those for white women. Many women in government experience harassment, physical violence, and sexual violence, and we treat women candidates and leaders with far greater scrutiny—from the way they dress to whether they seem “nice”—than male candidates.

“A woman’s place is in the House… and the Senate.”

Of the 104 women serving in the 115th US Congress, 38 or 36.5%, are women of color. Women of color constitute 7.1% of the total 535 members of Congress.

Women hold 3 of the 9 seats on the Supreme Court.

Women hold 24.9% of state legislature seats.

Women of color constitute 5.9% of state legislators and 23.7% of women state legislators.

Of the 100 largest cities in the United States, 20% have women mayors. 8 of those 100 are women of color.

Source: Rutgers University, Center for American Women and Politics

 

The United States ranks number 101 among other nations in terms of the percentage of women representatives. Rwanda is ranked number one, with women holding 61% of lower-house seats and 38% of upper-house seats. Pakistan and Bangladesh both rank ahead of the United States, with women holding around 20% of seats.

Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union

WHAT YOU CAN DO
  • Find out how many women are serving in your local and state governments.
  • Support a female candidate for office by donating to or volunteering for her campaign.
  • Research local and national groups that are helping women run for office, and support them with your dollars and your vote.
  • Research the first woman to represent your congressional district, the first woman to serve as mayor of your city, or the first woman to hold another important office in your community. Share her story with your family and friends.

Women hold 19.4% of the 535 seats in the US Congress. They hold 21% of the 100 seats of the US Senate and 19.1% of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives.

 

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