Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Patrick Semansky, Steven Senne, J. Scott Applewhite, Kiichiro Sato / AP
In the U.S., women hold less than a quarter of elected positions, making it the 101st country in the world for governmental gender equality, according to Politico. Women are actually just as likely to win an election as men, but are far less likely to run.
What doesn't matter: Studies have shown fundraising inequality, sexism in the media and among voters, and unyielding party bureaucracies do not contribute to the lack of women in office, Politico reports.
What does matter: Women aren't as interested in pursuing a political career. There are almost twice as many men who consider running for office than women — 20% of GOP women to 41% GOP men, and 24% Democrat women to 35% Democrat men.
Good news: After the election, there was a 75% increase in women filing to run for the Virginia Legislature and a 25% increase in New Jersey. Organizations that help promote women running for office have reported impressive increases as well. But... in a Politico poll after the election, women were still 15% less likely to say they would run for office than men.
Suggested solutions:
- A survey by the Women and Politics Institute at American University found that women were less likely to receive encouragement to pursue politics from teachers, parents, friends, spouses, etc. than men. That should change.
- School boards are the most likely place for women to be running for and working in elected positions. Recruiters should search there.
- Women tend to pursue office for different reasons than men. Political party recruiters should therefore change their pitches to women reflect how politics can be used to solve problems.
Go deeper: For more on how women view politics differently than men, and ways to fix the gender gap, read Politico's piece, here.