Women in Politics

Emily Tardie

In a time of domestic division, the push for radical, political, economic, and societal change is prominent. While youth continue to protest and share their voices, it is the state legislators that are responsible for the legal change. Therefore, a government that is not equally balanced with a diverse group of legislators is one that cannot effectively make decisions for the common good.

Vermont is pushing ahead in its efforts to elect women, but the federal government is lacking in female representation. In Vermont, 40% of state legislature is comprised of female representatives, but the national average is only about 25% (Associated Press). In the House of Representatives, only 83 of 435 seats are held by women (19.1%) and in the Senate, merely 22 of 100 seats are held by females (catalyst.org). Only once has the United States had a female nominated by a major party for President and no woman has ever been elected President. However, the future of women in politics is looking bright, as there are five times as many female representatives in the United States in 2018 than in 1971. With more diversity comes diverse minds and ideas, which is promising for the resolution of controversial and pressing issues in today’s society.

ALA Girls State is a program that is working to educate youth on their rights and responsibilities as a citizens. A large part of the program prepares and encourages girls to become civically engaged in politics, which in turn, will provide more female representation in the political field. Kerin Stackpole, Esq., gave a presentation on Women and Civic Engagement Monday morning that was eye-opening. As youth, we need to take initiative and become civilly responsible citizens. She provided examples on how to become engaged in politics and civil responsibility and acknowledged the difficulty of being a woman in politics. With the experiences delegates are exposed to at ALA Girls State, they are more prepared for the future of being civilly engaged women.