The gender gap in politics is undeniable, although it’s certainly improved since the days of George Washington. Yet still, men greatly outnumber women — but why? Several studies suggest it’s not that women aren’t qualified to do the job, but an “ambition gap,” or lack of encouragement, has created a lop-sided field of play where men are basically the only ones trying.
With universities across the country offering Student Government and other political-style councils that represent constituents comprising of fellow students, women could potentially get involved and participate in a welcoming environment, thus boosting their confidence to consider candidacy for elected positions later in life.
And that’s exactly what non-profits American Association of University Women and Running Start, in association with She Should Run, were thinking when they jointly launched Elect Her in 2010, an initiative to inspire young women to run for office during college.
Elect Her is a one-day, 4.5 hour intensive training session that includes workshops run by an Elect Her facilitator, panels of speakers and networking opportunities. The program is obviously targeted toward women, but men are also welcome to participate.
Last fall, UMaine Elect Her campus administrator Kathleen McIntyre, student liaison Julianna Ennamorati and AAUW liaison Mary Cathcart came together to apply to host Elect Her’s program for this fall. Their application was accepted first try.
Cathcart, a Senior Policy Associate for the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, hopes this program will spike an interest in politics.
“We are hoping this will get college women students more interested in running for Student Government and give them some of the practical tools and skills they’ll need to run a campaign,” Cathcart said. “Research shows that if [women] get involved with leadership roles on their campuses, they’re more likely to run for office or be involved in public service when they get older.”
According to Elect Her, results show that after a training session, approximately 20 percent more students consider running for student government and political office than before the training.
American University’s School of Public Affairs propose five factors that hinder young women’s political ambition inside their 2013 ‘Girls Just Wanna Not Run’ report, supporting Elect Her’s efforts:
Young men are more likely than young women to be socialized by their parents to think about politics as a career path; young women tend to be exposed to less political information and discussion than do young men; young men are more likely than young women to have played organized sports and care about winning; young men are less likely than young men to receive encouragement to run for office; and young women are less likely than young men to think they will be qualified to run for office, even once they are established in their careers.
Fifty schools from around the country will host Elect Her programs this year, and UMaine is one of them.
“Not only will this be a great opportunity for UMaine,” Cathcart said. “But also for the surrounding AAUW college partners who will be invited to send their own students to the event.”
McIntyre, the Special Asst. to Sr. VP for Administration & Finance Janet Waldron, is excited to help improve female leadership on campus.
“I’m really excited that we were awarded the opportunity, because I think it’s really important for young women to learn how to run for office early,” Waldron said. “It will help them in their futures, no matter what they choose to do.”
Ennamorati, a second-year economics and political science student, believes Elect Her will assist UMaine women to find their voices.
“[Elect Her] is a tool that woman students can utilize to strengthen their voice on campus,” Ennamorati said in an email on Sunday. “I think it will have a profound impact on anyone who participates.”
According to fourth-year biology student Kimberly Dao, 50 participants are expected to attend the Elect Her program, and she’s hoping for even more.
“This training has a very specific goal targeting women and we’re looking for particularly underclassmen to encourage them to get involved with leadership and politics early,” Dao said. “I think the very precise schedule and narrow target group that we have will make it successful.”
Casey Weed, a fourth-year journalism student and Co-Chair of Student Women’s Association, considers the timing of Elect Her’s arrival great.
“As Co-Chair of SWA, I report to Student Government meetings on a weekly basis, and the current executive board is noticeably all-male,” Weed said. “They’re doing a great job, and their work is great, but it’s concerning to think about all the women who didn’t even bother to apply and realize their potential.”
Dao, who served as UMaine Student Government’s first elected female president since the 1980s last year, agrees with Weed.
“For my constituents, just seeing a non-Greek woman run for a position and win is helpful … it tells them they have a chance,” Dao said. “At a micro-scale university level, seeing a fellow student woman run can be inspiring, and being on the winning side has definitely been an eye-opening experience for myself … hopefully more of my peers can experience this too.”
Dao points out that fourth-year students Mattie Paradise and Corey Morton, two highly ranked Student Government Senators, are graduating this spring, which means the General Student Senate will have no women in leadership roles.
“It’s time for some young senators to step up to the plate,” Dao said.
But Student Government isn’t the only opportunity women have to be leaders on campus. Weed says her position with SWA has helped her immensely.
“It’s helped with my communication skills and leadership skills, and it’s also guided me toward what I ultimately want to do with the rest of my life,” Weed said. “I found something that I’m really passionate about, and it’s definitely helped open a lot of doors for me … that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t join my sophomore year.”
According to a 2013 study by the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Maine has the highest percentage of female representation at the mayoral level, and its also seen a 10-percent increase in state-level representation for women since 1979 with 28.5 percent.
However, the study notes that Maine is the only state in the nation that hasn’t seen a female win a statewide election. In Maine, that’s the gubernatorial race.
The Maine State Legislature is comprised of 28.5 percent females — 18.8 percent of which is in the Senate and 81.2 percent of which is in the House.
Out of Maine’s four elected officials who call Washington, D.C. home, half are female — Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Chellie Pingree. The percentage used to be two-thirds before Sen. Olympia Snowe decided against seeking re-election in 2012.
As a former four-term Senator and three-term Representative of the Maine State Legislature, Cathcart knows what it’s like to serve. She thinks women bring something special to politics.
“Many people think — and there’s some evidence seen in Washington[, D.C.] these days — that women work together more cooperatively to really get something done for the people of the state or nation better than men do,” Cathcart said. “We saw Sen. Collins and other women senators really working hard to compromise and get the government going during the recent shutdown.”
McIntyre says the two genders bring up unique opinions that are equally necessary.
“Women have different perspectives on things than men, and I think the idea would be to have men and women serving together in order to bring both perspectives out,” McIntyre said. “Both need to work together, so it’s essential to have full participation from both sides.”
Several guests have already been invited to speak at the event, which is scheduled for Sept. 27. The list includes: Sen. Collins; Maine Senator and candidate for Maine’s 2nd congressional district U.S. House seat Emily Cain; candidate for Sen. Collin’s U.S. Senate seat Shenna Bellows; UMaine’s Special Asst. to the VP for Innovation and Economic Development Jennifer O’Leary; and Dao.
As for the students involved with bringing Elect Her on campus, they wouldn’t turn down the idea of running for office later in life, perhaps due to their current involvement with leadership positions right now. Even Dao and Weed, who plan on pursing other ventures not directly related to politics, said they would consider it.
“I would love to run for office later in life,” said Ennamorati in an email on Sunday. “It’s a great opportunity to make a positive impact not just in your community, but in your state and also national government.”