Tuesday's elections in five states have dealt women another political blow after the number of women in state legislative seats declined overall for the second consecutive year.
Even with a few races still undecided, the national total is certain to drop from the current 1,740 seats held by women. This decrease comes on the heels of the 2010 election, when women saw the largest decline in the number and percentage of women serving in state legislatures since researchers began tracking the numbers nearly 40 years ago. And while the number of women in statewide office edged up, it's still far below the peak achieved in 2000.
The first filing deadlines for the 2012 elections are just a few weeks away. It's not too late to reverse the trend of women losing ground in political participation. But we need your help. Here's how you can make a difference now:
1. Run for office or ask an accomplished women to run. 2. Know the difference women can make in office and share it: ● More work product;
● Less posturing; ● Collaboration and inclusion; ● And a focus on getting to goal. 3. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter. 4. Donate to The 2012 Project so we can identify and inspire more good women to step forward and break this pattern.
After Tuesday, our motto seems especially apt: Don't get mad. Get elected!
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All gifts made to The 2012 Project are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. The 2012 Project is a nonpartisan, national campaign of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, a 501(c)(3) organization.
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