June 17, 2014
CAWP NEWS & NOTES
A newsletter to keep you informed about all things women and politics from the Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University

Teach a Girl to Lead™ Website Goes Live

CAWP is proud to unveil our newest initiative, Teach a Girl to Lead™. TAG aims to make women's political leadership visible to the next generation and to inspire girls and young women to see themselves as future public leaders. The TAG site is full of useful resources for teachers, youth group leaders and parents to help them teach the young people in their lives and communities about women's leadership and civic engagement. How will you use the TAG site? Take a look and see. 

The Status of Black Women in American Politics:
New Report Forthcoming

CAWP is proud to have authored The Status of Black Women in American Politics for the Higher Heights Leadership Fund. The comprehensive report, which will be released this Thursday, June 19th, provides an historical outline of Black women's struggle for political representation and discusses the current landscape of political leadership for Black women across the country, as well as their growing political influence. It demonstrates the need for greater engagement, recruitment, and inclusion of Black women in politics and government. To mark the report release, CAWP will join Higher Heights, the Center for American Progress, and a panel of experts and Black elected women to discuss "Harnessing the Political Power of Black Women" on Thursday, June 19th from 12 pm-1:30 pm. The event will be streamed online at this link and the report will be available at that time. Please join us (either in person or online) for this important discussion and spread the word to your networks. You can also follow the conversation on social media using the hashtag #blackwomenlead.

NEW Leadership™ NJ - Awesome!!!

Was this the best year yet for NEW Leadership NJ™, our six-day residential training for college women? Don't want to play favorites, but it's certainly in the running. Thirty-seven already impressive students from 25 NJ colleges and universities were treated to: an inspiring, empowering and funny keynote address from Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno; three fabulous Faculty in Residence (FIRs) -- LA State Senator Sharon Weston Broome, Home Care Association of NJ President and CEO (and South Plainfield mayoral candidate) Chrissy Buteas, and Monmouth County Freeholder Serena DiMaso; an exciting day in Trenton including a chance to sit in on a news-making committee hearing; a challenging action project focused on extending the school day/year; and an all-star cast of speakers and panelists too numerous to mention, but fabulous from start to finish. Oh, and three visitors from Vietnam looking for ways to build their own training and mentoring programs at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, drawing on what they observed.

NEW Leadership™ Idaho - Also Awesome!!!

Boise State University hosted the inaugural NEW Leadership™ Idaho, with 20 students from 7 colleges and universities in the first class. It was, reports CAWP director Debbie Walsh, an amazing experience, including three fantastic FIRs: Idaho State Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb; Montana State Representative Ellie Boldman Hill; and campaign strategist China Gum. Program organizers Melissa Wintrow and Shelle Poole attended NEW Leadership NJ™ last year and added their own Western touches to CAWP's model.   Read a local newspaper's account here.

Watch Election Watch

Election Watch

 

So many elections, so much to know! Are you keeping up with CAWP's Election Watch? It's the best place to find the candidates -- and the context. 

Like Wow!

  

       

CAWP has reached and surpassed 5,000 likes for our Facebook page. But that doesn't mean we're stopping. Tell your friends to get connected with us - and do it yourself if you haven't already!


Where are the Women Mayors in NJ?

Three - count 'em! - three CAWP experts are quoted in this discussion on NorthJersey.com of the declining number of women mayors in our home state. But it doesn't take one genius, let alone three, to know we have a problem.  Similar ground is covered in audio from NJ 101.5, a statewide talk radio station.

 

Where's the Parity for Women in Congress?

According to the Sacramento Bee, one source is estimating that it will take 107 years for women to fill half of congressional seats. CAWP doesn't engage in that kind of calculation, but we do know that the progress remains slow and incremental - and we'll never get there unless more women run!

 

Where are the Republican Women?

CNN reports on some of the challenges facing Republican women seeking congressional seats, and also on some of the sources of support.

 

Want to Find the Democratic Women? Look for Other Democratic Women!

MSNBC  tells us that Democratic women in the U.S. Senate are out campaigning for women who want to join them.  And for good measure, the story mentions one Republican woman in the Senate who's doing the same for a potential GOP colleague.

 

Two Women Who've Hung in There

Yahoo News highlights two senior senators, Barbara Mikulski and Patty Murray, who have "staying power and savvy" -- and are lifting as they climb.

 

Entering Pennsylvania: No Need to Look for Women

...because, barring major upsets, there won't be any in the Keystone State's congressional delegation come 2015.  The paucity of Pennsylvania elected women was the subject of Marty Moss Coane's Radio Times, featuring CAWP's Kelly Dittmar. And Professor Dittmar discussed the same topic with the Philadelphia Inquirer, contrasting the situation in PA with the likelihood of New Jersey once again having at least one woman in its delegation. 

 

Why Women?

So why does it matter, anyhow? CAWP's Professor Kira Sanbonmatsu joined a webinar presented by Close the Gap CA to discuss the answers.

Center for American Women and Politics
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
191 Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8557
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