www.womensfund.net

Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact

Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts

Did you know?• Across almost all professional sectors, there

is a huge leadership gap for women in top positions.

• In business, film and television, journalism, law, sports, nonprofit, politics, religion and military, and academia, the average is 18%.

Did you know that women represent…?

• 3.0 % of the Fortune 500 CEOs • 7.6 % of the Fortune 500 top

earners • 14.4% of Fortune 500 top executive

officers • 51.5% of Management, professional

and related occupations • 46.7 % of the workforce

The United States ranks 90th in the

world for women in elected office, behind

Rwanda, Mexico, China, and Pakistan.

• Women hold only 19% of all municipal elected positions in Massachusetts.

• Of the 351 communities in MA, 36% have no women on their local governing councils or boards.

• In 2012, Elizabeth Warren was Massachusetts’ FIRST woman elected to the U.S. Senate! But we still make up just 20% of the U.S. Congress.

2013 Statewide Elective Offices

• Women hold 23.9% (76) of the 317 statewide elected executive offices across the country.

• Lieutenant Governors – 11 (4D 7R)

• Attorneys General – 8 (7D 1R)

• Secretaries of State – 12 (7D 5R)

• Governors – 5 (1D 4R)

Why do we need more women in politics?

A 2009 University of Chicago and Stanford University study found that women are seen

as more effective lawmakers; on average, women in Congress introduce more bills,

attract more co-sponsors and bring home more money for their districts than their

male counterparts do.

Source: The Jackie (and Jill) Robinson Effect: Why Do Congresswomen Outperform Congressmen?

Why do women in leadership positions matter?

• Companies with more women board of directors have more inclusive workplace cultures, policies and programs that support women’s advancement.

• Women on boards of directors serve as role models to women in the pipeline and demonstrate that women can fulfill their highest ambitions.

• Women and diverse boards improve the profitability of companies.

Critical Mass. A Critical Concept.

Research shows that when about 30% of a group is made up of women, the discourse, values, and working style of the entire organization changes. (Also true for politics, corporate boards, and other groups!)

Source: Wellesly Center for Women

FUN FACT!!Women WIN elections at the SAME rate

as men do.It’s not that women aren’t winning; it’s

that they aren’t running.

Men Rule: The Continued Under-Representation of Women in U.S. Politics-Jennifer L. Lawless and Richard L. Fox (January 2012)

1.Women view the electoral environment as highly competitive and aggressive, and biased against female candidates.

2. Some say that the candidacies of prominent female candidates, such as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin’s may have aggravated women’s perceptions of gender bias in the electoral arena… Or at leastinfluenced how they were personally treated.

Seven Contributing Factors to the

Gender Gap in Politics

Men Rule: The Continued Under-Representation of Women in U.S. Politics-Jennifer L. Lawless and Richard L. Fox (January 2012)

3. Women are much less likely than men to think they are qualified to run for office.

Self-Assessments of Qualifications to Run for Office

“When you ask a man to run, he says, ‘Okay, but the party is going to have to do this for me, and the party is going to have to do that for me, and you are going to have to throw a fundraiser for me.’ When you ask a woman to run, she says, ‘Do you think I’m qualified?’”

- Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA, 2003-present)

4.Female potential candidates are less competitive, less confident, and more risk averse than men.

5. Women react more negatively than men to many aspects of modern campaigns.

This includes typical campaign activities:- Fundraising- Voter contact- Dealing with the press- Negative campaigning (BOO!)

6. Women are less likely than men to receive the suggestion to run for office – from anyone.

7. Women are still responsible for the majority of childcare and household tasks.

The 2012 Atlantic Monthly article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” by Anne-Marie Slaughter generated more comments than any other piece in the magazine’s history.

“The first time I was in Ronald Reagan’s office, I called Caroline, my 9-year-old, and I said, ‘I have just been in with President Ronald Reagan.’” Her daughter replied, “‘Are you going to be here tomorrow for the carpool?’ And I said, ‘I have just been . . .’ and she said, ‘I heard you. Are you going to be here tomorrow for the carpool?’ I mean, oh my Lord: ‘I’m deciding the fate of the Western World and you’re worrying about a carpool?’ And the answer was, ‘Yes, I am.’” – Representative Lynn Martin (1981)

This is “Children Characteristics” 2013 ACS 5-year estimates for the entire City of Springfield.

The median family income for families with children: Women make almost half less of what men make as female-only head of house.

Married Household: $61,224 Male-Only Head of House: $30,751

Female-Only Head of House: $18,226  

BUT THEY’RE TAKING CARE OF ALL THE CHILDREN!  

Children under 18 in households in the entire city: 40,910 children. Married Household: 14,383 children under 18 (35.15%)

Male-Only Head of Household: 3,609 children under 18 (8.82%) Female-Only Head of Household: 22,448 children under 18 (54.87%)

 And the percentage of children living in homes receiving public assistance?

64.1%  Married Household: 42.5%

Male-Only Head of House: 59.7%Female-Only Head of House: 54.87%

How can we present this data in a visually aesthetic way to communicate the message to a broader audience while still representing the statistics accurately?

 

What now?

The Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact

LIPPI has trained over 240 women in:Community organizingThe legislative process and policy-makingCampaign managementPublic speakingMunicipal and nonprofit budgetingFundraisingBoard participationRunning for office!

•12 women running for office•1 woman accepted into the Yale Women’s Campaign School•2 LIPPIstas currently running for Mayor- of Greenfield & Pittsfield. One has even won her primary already!•1 woman managing the successful campaign a the newly elected 22-year old mayor

•40% of LIPPI participants in the first year are women of color•40 women graduated from the Institute’s inaugural year•32 women currently enrolled •150 women participated in 3 years!

WHERE CAN WE GO FROM HERE?

Information and statistical facts are the best tool in our arsenal for the fight for equality.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

By helping the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts to crack the statistical code. Our current statistical measurements of income inequality are based around 2010/2012

ACS census data, and relatively outdated.

In today’s visual and digital world, powerful and accurate infographics are one of the many tactics utilized to get an organization’s message across.

•What is the percentage (if any) of difference in income between men and women of similar positions? •What is the percentage of female leadership in Congress today? In the House? In the Senate? At what rate are we running when compared to men? At what rate when they run/are they elected? •How many elected female leaders does Massachusetts have? •Rates of educational attainment, and equivalencies to outcome later in life?

Resources

Women’s Fund of Western MA Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact:

www.womensfund.net Emerge Massachusetts: www.emergema.org

Center for American Women and Politics: www.cawp.rutgers.edu

Mass Women’s Political Caucus: www.mwpc.orgThe White House Project:

www.thewhitehouseproject.org New Leader’s Council: www.newleaderscouncil.org

Mass GAP: www.massgap.org ACS (American Community Survey): www.census.gov