Is the gender gap in politics closing? The 2018 elections brought a surge of new women to local and statewide offices, historic wins in Senate and governors’ races; and major breakthroughs for women of color in the House of Representatives.
As we head into a new decade and a presidential election, despite the gains achieved at the federal and state level in 2018, women continued to be underrepresented at all levels of elected office.
What are the obstacles women face in the political process? What needs to happen to advance the representation of women in public office? What will it take for a woman to serve as president or vice president of the United States?
This salon is hosted by the RSA’s Gender Equity Thematic Network and features the following guest speakers:
- Cynthia Richie Terrell, Founder and Executive Director of RepresentWomen
Cynthia Richie Terrell is the founder and executive director of RepresentWomen and a founding board member of the ReflectUS coalition of non-partisan women’s representation organizations. She is an outspoken advocate for innovative rules and systems reforms to advance women’s representation and leadership in the United States. - Lauren Russell, Board Member, California Women's List
Lauren Russell is on the board of California Women's List, a political action committee that fundraises for and supports pro-choice, Democratic women candidates for state office in California, and currently serves as the Endorsements Chair. - Caroline Heldman, Author & Professor at Occidental College
Dr. Heldman is the Executive Director of The Representation Project, a Professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and the Senior Research Advisor at the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media. She has published five books on media, the presidency, and systems of power, with a focus on gender and race. Her latest book, Madame President? Gender and Politics on the Road to the White House, will be available on March 20th.
The discussion will be moderated by Octavia Goredema MBE, FRSA. An award-winning career coach and writer, Octavia Goredema is an Ambassador of the Pankhurst Centre, the historic birthplace of the suffragette movement. Octavia leads the RSA’s Gender Equity Thematic Network.
