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MARCH 2005

Women Still Under-Represented In Elective Politics

By President Judith R. Shapiro

The question of women’s achievement today is often clouded by a condition that I call “information denial”—the belief that advancement for women is no longer an issue in our society, even though the facts tell a different story.

I am cautiously optimistic about a recent survey that shows 81 percent of voters would be willing to vote for a woman for president (62 percent said the country is ready for a female commander-in-chief), and by the strong turnout of young women at the polls last November.

At Barnard, a new student group, Smart Women Lead, is at the forefront of efforts to encourage young women to consider careers in elective politics. These students will have their work cut out for them.

The United States currently ranks 58th in a country-by-country survey of women elected to national legislatures, tied with Andorra and behind countries like South Africa and Sierra Leone.

It has been 20 years since Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman on a national presidential ticket. Since then only two women have run for the nomination of either party  (Elizabeth Dole in 2000 and Carol Moseley Braun in the last election).  Both faced an uphill struggle to raise funds and attracted relatively little support.

Congress continues to be overwhelmingly male. Only eight women serve as governors of our 50 states — a record to date but clearly a long way from political parity.

There is reason for skepticism when we hear voters, and even our political leaders, say that a woman will surely be president in their lifetime.

Unless we expand the cadre of women at every level of government—legislators, mayors and governors—we can’t expect a woman to have a real shot at the top office.

The goal is not just one or two women at the top of government but many more in all of the positions that command resources and require strategic decisions.  This is the glass ceiling we must break.#

Judith Shapiro is President of Barnard College

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