By Molly McNamara, Summer 2023 Collaborator at Power in Place
While the modern woman enjoys many of the same political rights and freedoms as her male counterpart, history has not been so kind. Women have lived in the political shadow of men for centuries and many political ‘firsts’ for women have occurred fairly recently. In order to better understand where women in government are today, it is necessary to review some important moments in women’s political history.
The fight for women’s rights began in the mid-19th century. The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 was the first big push for women’s suffrage. It was convened by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and others who demanded a variety of rights for women as well as an end to slavery. This event was formative to first-wave feminism, as it inspired many women to fight for change. Women began to run for public office after that including Victoria Woodhull for president in 1872. This was one of the first attempts of a woman to enter an influential political position, paving a way for others to do the same. Some women successfully entered small public office positions during this time period despite not having the right to vote.
The early 20th century brought about the first appointments of women to Congress. Jeannette Rankin was elected to the House of Representatives in the state of Montana three years after women gained the right to vote there. The first female senator was Rebecca Felton of Georgia, who entered the position in 1922. While these historical advancements for women in politics were crucial stepping stones for women’s rights today, women waited over 75 years after the Seneca Falls Convention to enter the federal political sphere. History has been slow to allow women into powerful positions, and that is still seen today.
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which passed in 1920, granted women the right to vote on the federal level. This was a huge win for women, as they had been fighting for suffrage for generations. Many women entered public office after that. Soledad Chacon was elected New Mexico Secretary of State in 1923 and was the first woman of color to hold statewide elected executive office. In 1924, Cora Belle Reynolds Anderson was elected to the Michigan State House and was the first Native American woman in a state legislature. Many more female politicians followed in their footsteps and entered political positions, giving women a voice that they did not have before.
In the last 50 years, much progress has been made to advance women’s political power and participation. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the US Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan in 1981. In 1984, Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman to run on a major party ticket as the Vice Presidential running mate for Walter Mondale. In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first nominee for president of a major political party. Despite her loss, she demonstrated the progress made for women in the political world. Lastly, Kamala Harris was elected the first female Vice President of the United States and has shown people that women are the future of politics. She and many other female politicians demonstrate the momentous progress made in women’s political power in the US.
Women’s political representation today is also the highest in US history. Women make up 28 percent of all members of the 118th Congress. In the House of Representatives, 153 of the 540 members are women, and the 2022 midterm brought in nearly two dozen new female House members. Women also have higher voter registration numbers than men, as well as higher voter turnout. As of 2022, 70 percent of women are registered to vote while 68.2 percent of men are registered. In the 2020 Presidential election, 82.2 million women voted while 72.5 million men voted. This pattern of higher voting and registration among women has been the case for decades.
Therefore, women have taken over politics in many ways. They have infiltrated all forms of public office from city council to Supreme Court Justice. They are voting in high numbers and have come a long way since 1848. Despite this, some political positions including Vice President were not filled by a woman until quite recently. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to create more political equality for women. Men still hold a majority of public office, and there are often stigmas around women having powerful positions. But with time, education, and inspiration, women’s political power and influence can continue to grow.
References
[1] Center for American Women and Politics. “Milestones for Women in American Politics.” Rutgers University. 2022. https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/milestones-women-american-politics
[2] Cunningham, John. “Seven Female Firsts in US Politics.” Britannica. August 12, 2016 https://www.britannica.com/list/7-female-firsts-in-us-politics
[3] Leppert & DeSilver. “118th Congress Has A Record Number of Women.” Pew Research. January 3, 2023 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/01/03/118th-congress-has-a-record-number-of-women/#:~:text=Women%20make%20up%20more%20than,and%20nonvoting%20members%20of%20Congress.
[4] Center for American Women and Politics. “Gender Differences in Voter Turnout.” Rutgers University. 2022. https://cawp.rutgers.edu/facts/voters/gender-differences-voter-turnout
Molly McNamara is a rising Junior at George Washington University. She is double majoring in Political Science and American Studies with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Molly is involved in the GW campus chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is interested in writing, mental health advocacy, and political engagement. After college she hopes to either enter the political realm or nonprofit work in hopes to create a more equitable society.