Back in 1917, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman in Congress. The social worker from Montana joined the House of Representatives three years before women could vote! Fast-forward 100 years, and women have gained ground in U.S. politics. The current 115th Congress is the most diverse ever.
A total of 104 women are now in Congress, which includes the Senate and House of Representatives. But if Congress were to have the same percent of women as the U.S. population (50.8%), it would be closer to 272 women, says Debbie Walsh of the Center for American Women in Politics in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Currently, 80 percent of U.S. policymakers are male.
To achieve Walsh’s goal, more women need to run for office. “We do know that when women run, they win at about the same rate as men do,” says Walsh. “But we’re not seeing more women running.” One of the ways to grow women’s ranks at the national level is to get more women involved at the state level. This will provide them with experience and connections to run for higher offices.
Walsh hopes the visibility of female politicians during the 2016 election will inspire the next generation of women to run for office. By early 2017, workshops for would-be politicians had seen a dramatic increase in women signing up to learn more. “I’m hopeful that they will think, ‘You know what, I shouldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore,’” says Walsh.