What Year of the Woman?

During an interview last week, a reporter with one of the top international media outlets mentioned to me that 2008 was being referred to as the "year of the woman." Well, I told her, we already had our Year of the Woman back in 1992--spurred on by the televised testimony of Anita Hill being savaged day after day regarding allegations of sexual harassment by Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Hill's painfully public ordeal moved women to action, helping to propel a record-breaking number of women onto the federal ticket, electing the largest number of women ever to the House, and tripling the number of women elected to the Senate.

So it surprised me to hear that 2008 was being heralded as a similar milestone for women's political leadership. Not only because the gains for women this year were minute, but because the bestowing of such a title in 1992 ended up doing relatively little for women overall. Yes, we made historic headway towards greater gender parity - but everything went south after that. Once term limits kicked in, the open seats were overwhelmingly filled by men, even those previously occupied by women. Since then, the percentage of women serving in state legislatures has hovered between 21 and 24%, and this election cycle, in 10 states, the total number of women serving actually went down.

Frankly, when I hear the current exclamations over women's electoral gains in 2008, I am shocked at the apparently low expectations for where women should be politically. In this so-called "Year of the Woman, v. 2.0," only four seats were netted by women in Congress - three in the House and one in the Senate. Unless a woman is appointed to fill Senator Clinton's seat, we will backslide to the same 16% of women-held Senate seats that we started with before the election. At the moment, we've got a mere 8 women serving as governors across this country--likely to become 9 when Lt. Gov. Diane Denish replaces Governor Bill Richardson as he moves to Commerce, but still well below parity. (And governorships are important to men and women alike: as the traditional platform to the presidency, they are a critical proving ground, where executive experience can be validated.)

At the beginning of the twentieth century, suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton remarked that it was a wonder that the republic had done as well as it had when it'd only used half its resources. A century later, her words still ring true. In the upcoming research report "Benchmarking Women's Leadership" by The White House Project, it is revealed that at our current rate of advancement, we won't achieve parity between women and men in Congress in 2063. This means we will continue to use half our resources for another half century. Call in the waste management experts.

With pressure from women's groups, other countries have moved far ahead of the US in terms of women's political representation by establishing quotas, either around the numbers of women candidates or office holders. Parliamentary systems make this easier to do than in our winner take all electoral system, but there are a myriad of innovations that could move our democracy to a place of true representation; all we need is the political will to make such programs a priority.

I've spoken before about how a Presidential Commission on Women & Democracy could make deep inroads into achieving gender parity in government - no country can accomplish such a task without a big show of political will from the very top. And a commission is a good structure for this type of innovation, as it makes recommendations without becoming a parking lot for urgently needed policy changes.

That's the high-level piece of work that needs to happen in order to bring more women into the political process. But there are other ways each of us can make a tangible difference--starting right now.

After you read this piece, think of a woman you believe would make a great addition to the city council, school board, or state legislature. Then pick up the phone, dial her number, and encourage her to run. Or send her a personal e-card inviting her to run. When I speak with female elected officials, the majority of them say that the one thing that spurred them to run was the encouragement of a friend, family member, or co-worker to do so. It was certainly the case when I ran for city council in Des Moines years ago.

Men see other men in places of leadership, and they step up to the plate to either join or unseat them. But women, who see too few of their counterparts in positions of political power, wait to be invited. It won't always be that way. And if enough people make the call, we can help hurry history.

Comments

[Jacki Zehner - Huffpost Blogger]

Marie - You Rock. Thank you for this piece. NO, 2008 was not the year of the woman, but maybe 2009 WILL BE - if good men and good women work together to make it happen. I believe in men and women working together to make it happen - see my blog from yesterday here on huffpo - Broken, Hope and Women - on that topic. I know you do to. This is no pity party - this is about a revolution. This is about seeing the brokenness of this world and getting in the game to fix it. This is about seeing the change you want to happen then doing what YOU CAN to make it happen. I am fired up and I know my life, your life Marie, is making a difference. Thanks for writing and I am sending the invite card out !!! "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have" - all the time!

[Hoisin]

Real feminism starts with mothers not lying to their daughters and filling their daughters heads with mommys insecurity based agenda. Insecure mothers destroy the success of their daughters by programing in hate which takes years to reverse. Feminism needs to focus on its biggest hurdle, female insecurity, before it goes after other issues. For example kids dont know racism, its parents who teach white girls its bad to be with a black man .

[teasley]

Having gone back through some of the authors previous articles. It would appear as if we don't have enough LIBERAL women in positions of power. She certainly wasn't in favor of Sarah Palin holding office. Why? Because Sarah was on the wrong side of abortion. How strange that you should exclude such a large percentage of women from your argument for more women in positions of power. When you finally get your quota system, will there be room for women that don't fit your mold? By the way, my daughter was just elected to a city council against an encumbant male.

[ohioan73]

I'm a black woman and I can't wait until the day when it won't be the year of anybody. Just a human being measured by what they do and the content of their character. I don't think its going to happen in my lifetime. Some people seem to resent when minorities celebrate their achievements while crediting a gender or a race. They argue that if a white male had his own TV channel just for white males and a White Men's Federal Bank, people would be outraged. I counter argue that the country music channel and Most of the old banks that date back 100 years or more, don't have to declare that they are white male establishments as the glass ceiling was even lower for people of color and women back then. There was a glass front door in those days.

Celebrating the achievements of women and minorities is uplifting and depressing at the same time. On one hand, you feel glorious, on the other, you feel ashamed to live in such a technologically advanced world and people are still griping about genitals and skin color.

[Proditor]

It sure didn't happen this year.

[UberReaganite]

Right on. When you hear a last name mentioned a few times then see a picture and say "Oh, that was woman!" or "Oh, an asian" - that is when we will truly cross the equality line. As long as we keep touting sex and race up fornt and using it to gain positions we will continue to still fail in equality. In my company when I hear a name a few times and I have this view of some Irish guy in my head only to find out from a picture its a black person or asian American, I'm actually kind of happy. It tells me we are moving in the right direction. Only a person completely ignorant to world history speaks of a "pure" blood line. Go back far enough and you got a little of me in you and I got a little of you in me. Smart people already know this and the rest just need to get educated and catch up. We dont need to celebrate what should be normal....

I have worked for great women and many not so great men and I think America will be much better off when more women are in the top spots. Not women followers either, women leaders.

[Eyewideopen]

SPIKE is a channel for white males. I don't hear a peep from anyone about that.

[HillaryGoAway]

We won't get the respect we deserve until the puma pity party stops.

[bill76]

I agree with you. I understand that women are more sensitive by nature, but women will never be equally represented in govt until the cries of sexism and woe is me stop, and you step up the plate and ready yourself for the high inside fastball. No one's going to feel sorry for you if you're running for president. That's the big leagues.

[cherry33]

"I understand that women are more sensitive by nature."

LOL. You mean we cry in hysterics regularly, or our eyes just fill up with water?

[Eswen]

I ran several times for the school board. Each time, I filed for an open seat and a man was encouraged to run against me (despite the fact that school board seats usually run unopposed in our small town). In my (apparently) conservative community, it worked every time (except the last, when I was elected). Voters were told we "needed a man" and I was considered the less qualified candidate because I am a woman and a mother, despite having two Ivy League degrees, experience on boards, and experience in education. People--my neighbors and acquaintances--seemed to have no qualms about saying that I might be fine some time, in some capacity, but that here and now we "needed a man." To repeat what others have said, if you're "running while female" (like "driving while black") you've got to be prepared to take a lot of crap that has nothing to do with your qualifications and everything to do with your appearance.

[jade7243]

"that she (Hamsher) has a probably with political dynasties. "

Dangit!

I meant she has a PROBLEM with political dynasties.

DOH!

[jade7243]

When a woman like Caroline Kennedy steps up to the plate and follows the tradition of asking about filling a Senate seat and giving her encouragement to others to quietly campaign on her behalf, other women like JANE HAMSHER trash her for doing so, claiming -- wrongly -- that she (Hamsher) has a probably with political dynasties. Interesting that Hamsher had no such complaint when Hillary parachuted into New York with nothing more than being First Lady to her credit. Hamsher had no complaints about Cuomos seeking other office -- ostensibly because of the family name and business. No complaints from Hamsher about Evan Bayh following in the footsteps of his father Birch. Or Mitt Romney filling the big shoes of his dad George. Or of the Udalls out west, or the Symingtons. Or of Bob Casey of PA following his dad.

To be blunt, Hamsher's kasloppis is full of shedooby.

More women will run for office when more women stop trashing them for doing so.

[newpotusplease]

I've seen women in power

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/27/MNBB14D1B4.DTL&type=printable

http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/scandal-scapegoats-and-suicide

Just like the boys--

Power without checks and balances and an active press--- corrupts.

[UncleDave]

i suspect that what I say might be taken in a 'wrong way' by a few folks. I am a 55 year old man who has more 'feminist' views than my friends,fellow workers-even my family. That said, cultural norms die hard. It's just a fact that a double standard exists and that double standard is alive and well amoung not only among men but WOMEN. And young girls. 'Women's groups'may have made headway,but it is also true that those groups may do more harm than good in the long run and especially when 'activists' just end up entrenching the people they wish to 'liberate'. Just one old farts view.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

I respect your voice.

It is a learned not born with behavior. Very few women know how to raise male children to grow up strong yet respect and gentle to women.

years ago they were called gentlemen. Now no one teaches the children manners. Thank you, No thank you, please. etc. This too is a part of no child left behind. Currently no one is including the child period.