Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world—with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment!
This week’s Weekend Reading covers Adrienne Adams’ mayoral bid, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s retirement, IDEA’s “Democracy for All” campaign, the link between masculinity and increasing global conflict, the impact of 2024’s down-ballot races on women’s representation, an analysis of the SAVE Act, and Ruth Marcus‘ step back from The Washington Post in response to editorial decisions and new policies that stifle free speech.
Some milestones this week for women’s representation include Janet Reno’s confirmation as the first woman U.S. attorney general in 1993 and the first-ever Girl Scouts meeting in Savannah, Ga.
Happy birthday to Winsome Earle Sears, the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia (after a ranked-choice voting primary); Michele McCrary, RepresentWomen’s operations director; Olympian Simone Biles; Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; and Ariel Hill Davis, co-founder of Republican Women for Progress.
I am so excited to share that March marks five years of publishing the Weekend Reading in Ms. magazine! Ms. is a fantastic partner to us and so many other organizations committed to amplifying women’s voices and building women’s political power.
30 Years After the Beijing Declaration, Women’s Rights Face Global Backlash
2025 is the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark conference organized by the United Nations to encourage gender equality and empower women and girls across the globe. During this conference, over 17,000 delegates from 189 countries gathered together to create an actionable plan to improve outcomes for women and girls, eliminate violence, enact gender quotas in political representation, and improve women’s economic standing.
Last week, just before International Women’s Day, the United Nations released an update to that report: One in four countries saw backlash on women’s rights in 2024.
Data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and U.N. Women show that “men outnumber women by more than three times in executive and legislative positions.” To be more specific, women serve as heads of state in only 25 countries, make up only 27.2 percent of Parliament, and hold 22.9 percent of Cabinet positions internationally.
This has been coupled with an increase in gender-based violence against women, including harmful stereotypes perpetuated by technology and artificial intelligence.
Edith M. Lederer quotes U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in this AP article:
“Globally, women’s human rights are under attack,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny.”
He said the world must stand firm “in making human rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.”
Around the globe, we must remain steadfast in advocating for systems-wide reforms that support women—from improving healthcare access, to increasing access to capital, to electing more women leaders. The United States ranks 78th on the IPU’s list tracking women’s parliamentary representation and more importantly 28th among OECD nations, because we have not invested in systemic reforms to elect women like our neighbors in Mexico and Canada. I am so thankful to have spent much of last week connecting with the almost 200 daily attendees at our fourth annual Democracy Solutions Summit, brainstorming actionable solutions to the barriers surrounding women’s representation in the United States.
Adrienne Adams Launches New York City Mayoral Bid
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams recently launched her campaign for New York City’s mayoral race, positioning herself as an alternative to Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the ranked-choice voting primary. Her campaign seeks to galvanize Black female voters, a key Democratic voting bloc, by emphasizing her integrity, competence and commitment to issues like maternal health, education and community services.
Maya King and Jeffery C. Mays writes for The New York Times:
But many of her supporters see her candidacy as something else: an opportunity for Democrats to elect a qualified Black woman to lead the country’s largest city, less than a year after the bruising loss of Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to lead a major party presidential ticket.
Wearing a pink pantsuit, Ms. Adams entered to cheers at the Rochdale Village Shopping Center in southeast Queens and danced with supporters as “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross played.
“No drama, no scandal, no nonsense, just competence and integrity,” Ms. Adams said at the rally, summing up her candidacy.
Check out our Breaking Barriers for Black Women in Politics brief for more information on how system changes can help Black women in politics.
Trailblazing U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Won’t Seek Reelection in 2026
Jeanne Shaheen, the three-term U.S. senator from New Hampshire, has announced she will not seek reelection in 2026. Shaheen’s trailblazing career includes being New Hampshire’s first woman governor, the first woman to be both a governor and U.S. senator, and the first woman to lead the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
This excerpt from her office’s announcement of her decision highlights what I see as reflective of women’s leadership:
A former teacher and small business owner, who also served in the New Hampshire State Senate, Shaheen set the state on a new course as Governor. She passed the largest expansion of public kindergarten as well as historic investments in public schools, job training and the state University System. Shaheen established a new health insurance program for kids and cracked down on predatory junk health insurance plans, leading New Hampshire to one of highest rates of individuals with health insurance coverage in America. To bring down electric rates, increase competition and reduce carbon emissions, she took on the big utility companies. Shaheen was the first New Hampshire Governor to lead international trade missions, increasing exports, strengthening New Hampshire’s tourism industry and encouraging new business and job growth.
She also expanded the rights of women and the LGBTQ community, with repeals of a century-old abortion ban and a ban on LGBT parents fostering or adopting children, as well as new bipartisan legislation that expanded insurance coverage for contraception and strengthened equal pay protections. In the U.S. Senate Shaheen built a reputation, and a record, of working across the aisle, repeatedly helping to author and pass landmark legislation.
2026 Elections Update: Limited Chances for Women Underscore Need for Reform
With Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) not seeking reelection, the U.S. will lose two women U.S. senators after the 2026 elections.
Those open seats are among only seven Senate races not seen as safe for one party in the 2026 cycle, and with only two other open seats so far in Kentucky and Michigan. With Maine’s Susan Collins the top target for Democrats in 2026, women may have trouble maintaining their 26 Senate seats.
Women have more opportunities in governors’ races, including both New Jersey and Virginia this year, but few openings in U.S. House races—where at this early point in the cycle, the Cook Political Report only identifies 18 tossup seats out of 435. The New York Times recently lifted up the impact of our plurality, winner-take-all voting rules, resulting in “the death of competition in American politics.”
Here’s an excerpt that underscores why RepresentWomen sees the model of elections in the Fair Representation Act and expansion of Alaska’s reform model for Senate races essential for creating space for real voter choice and change, including reflective representation of women:
Michael Podhorzer, a strategist and the former political director of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., recently analyzed election data to determine how many state legislative primaries last year were competitive and “meaningful” — decided by 10 percentage points or fewer, and with the winner prevailing in the general election. He found that in the 35 states that held elections for both state legislative chambers last year, just 287 of more than 4,600 primaries met that definition.
That leaves many voters without real representation: The districts that did not have meaningful primaries or general elections last year have roughly 158 million citizens, Mr. Podhorzer said, while those with meaningful primaries have only about 10 million. Experts are quick to point out that beyond gerrymandering, the political “sorting” of like-minded voters moving into the same communities has exacerbated the lack of competition.
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Promotes “Democracy for All” Campaign
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports democracy worldwide. This year, it has launched its Democracy for All campaign has a 2025 advocacy focus on gender and inclusion. Here is a description of the program:
When democracies face a loss of trust and global headwinds, they can only regain initiative by ensuring that all ethnicities, genders, and minority groups are included in political processes. In 2025, International IDEA is focusing a global advocacy campaign on “Democracy for All”, promoting the political representation and democratic rights of historically excluded groups, The campaign will focus on the institute’s initiatives with women, LGBTQ+ people, youth, ethnicity and Indigenous Peoples, migrants, displaced persons, and persons with disabilities, especially in the Global South, leveraging our experience both in grassroots communities as well as expertise in research and data analytics.
Hyper-Masculinity in Politics Fuels Global Conflict: Why Diverse Leadership Matters
The hyper-masculinity in politics is pushing the world closer towards global conflict. The majority of heads of state are men, meaning that they lead the decisions on international relations and defense. Diverse perspectives are critical at every level of government, but especially when it comes to global conflict resolution. Women are more likely to negotiate, reach across party lines, and work together to find solutions that work for everyone.
Elaine Loughlin for the Irish Examiner writes:
As the world lurches from one crisis to another on an almost daily basis, it is men who are calling the shots on possible peace deals, trade tariffs and a ramping up of defence capabilities and security spending.
Where are all the women? Of course she would say that.
But international evidence shows that women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution can improve outcomes before, during, and after war.
Women bring a different perspective and different approach, a notable example of this was the late Mo Mowlam who became known for throwing off her cancer wig onto the table during tense negotiations, which eventually led to the Good Friday Agreement.
Historic Wins for Women Define 2024 Down-Ballot Races
The November 2024 election did not result in the historic first of a woman president, but it marked significant milestones in down-ballot races. Maryland elected Angela Alsobrooks as its first Black woman senator, and Delaware elected Lisa Blunt Rochester, making history as the first time two Black women serve in the U.S. Senate simultaneously. Other historic wins included Janelle Bynum as Oregon’s first Black member of Congress and Patty Kim as Pennsylvania’s first Asian American state senator.
A notable statewide election this year is the Virginia gubernatorial race, which is set to elect Virginia’s first woman governor, with two women as frontrunners—Winsome Earle-Sears (R) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.)—as Bev-Freda Jackson writes for Gender on the Ballot:
The firsts noted in the US Senate, speaks to the weight of down ballot voting and how critical, voices and participating in the democratic process of voting truly is. Down ballot voting historically has been overlooked, often with the spotlight on national races as opposed to local races. Localized efforts have significant impact on jurisdictions and regions, from equitable resource allocation among localities as it related to schools, to public works and residential and housing zoning, as well as community amenities and policy issues on a national scale such as climate justice, criminal justice and reproductive rights. What we often do not realize is that down ballot candidates can often become “up ballot” candidates and holding public officials accountable at every level is the intention of a healthy, thriving democracy
SAVE Act Proposals Could Disenfranchise Millions of Women
Republicans have introduced the SAVE Act in Congress for the second year. This legislation has been billed to prevent noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections; in reality, it could disenfranchise 21.3 million people. This legislation would require all individuals to provide proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote and require their legal name to match the name on a birth certificate or passport. This would prevent millions of women from voting if they have not updated legal documentation of their name change—see this partner toolkit from our friends at FairVote on the SAVE Act.
Kathleen Walsh writes in Glamour:
In fact, the bill would impact millions of eligible voters, including the estimated 21.3 million Americans who do not have ready access to a birth certificate or passport, as well as anyone who relies on voting by mail. Early research indicates that it would disproportionately impact voters of color and young voters.
But it would also have a direct impact on anyone whose legal name does not match the name on their birth certificate or passport, such as the 79% of heterosexual married women, per Pew Research, who take their spouse’s last name. “If a married woman hasn’t paid $130 to update her passport—assuming she has one, which only about half of Americans do—she may not be able to vote in the next election if the SAVE Act becomes law,” Weiser says.
Washington Post Loses a Leading Voice for Women
Ruth Marcus, a long-time columnist and former deputy editorial page editor of The Washington Post who brought a cogent eye toward American politics, has resigned following The Washington Post publisher killing one of her columns based on its content. In the New Yorker, Marcus details her decades-long history with The Post and the deteriorating environment on the editorial page as its owner Jeff Bezos curried favor with Donald Trump.
It’s an important read and I feel deeply for good friends who remain writing for The Post. As a fellow knitting enthusiast, I will lift up this 2017 column by Marcus.
There is a famous essay by George Orwell titled “Why I Write.” I’m no Orwell, but I’ve always wanted to write one called “Why I Knit.” I’ve had this idea stashed away for a while, like a skein of yarn saved for the right moment. I’d get to it, I figured, perhaps after a spate of Very Serious Columns. I was a bit sheepish – no yarn pun intended – about alighting on such a frilly, girly topic.
I’m pretty sure Walter Lippmann did not knit. I’m definitely sure that Walter Lippmann did not write about knitting. But I am, defiantly, out of the knitting closet, thanks to the U.S. Olympic Committee. Because the Very Serious people at the U.S. Olympic Committee – to wit, their Very Serious lawyers – have seriously dissed knitting, and knitters. This will not stand….In any event, the USOC’s dismissive tone, well, needled the knitters. The Ravelry community, which renamed the event the Ravellenic Games, received not one apology, but two. The USOC regretted its “use of insensitive terms.” Don’t mess with people armed with pointy needles and the Internet.
The Faces of Leadership in the Democracy Reform Movement
Eileen Reavey, new CEO of Rank the Vote, shared this terrific graphic of the leaders of state ranked-choice voting orgs. (See the full list with contact information.)
Along with these state leaders, it’s great to see women at the helm of the leading democracy reform organizations including Reavey, mentioned above, Meredith Sumpter CEO of FairVote, Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno brand new CEO of RepresentUS, Rosemary Blizzard CEO of Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center, Maria Perez and Grace Ramsey of Democracy Rising—and me, too!
I picked the first daffodils blooming in my garden this week!
This post was originally published on here
