In 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — making progress in a decades-long struggle to ensure women have the tools they need to fight for equal pay for equal work. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
Last week, Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi came to the Baker Institute for a question-and-answer event with founding director Ambassador Edward Djerejian and a packed audience. Leader Pelosi covered topics from health care and foreign policy to immigration and women’s empowerment. She spoke of her own path to Congress and highlighted the legislative platform that House Democrats have adopted called “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds.” The plan calls for policy action in areas such as equal pay, work and family balance, and child care.
Leader Pelosi is one of many women in politics who has recently made news. Last winter, a group of women senators, the so-called “Senate Sisterhood,” was instrumental in passing the bipartisan budget deal. In January, economist Janet Yellen became the first woman to serve as chair of the Federal Reserve Board. Hillary Clinton may be considering a 2016 bid for the presidency. With such exceptional women rising to unprecedented positions and ranks, it is a good time to reflect on where we are and what must be done improve gender equality in Washington.
The current Congress includes the highest number of female legislators in U.S. history. With 20 women in the Senate and 78 in the House, 19 percent of the legislature is female. However, of the 21 standing committees in each chamber of Congress, there are only eight female committee chairs in the Senate, and none in the House. Speaker of the House John Boehner appointed only male committee chairs for the 113th Congress and President Obama currently has only three female members in his 16-member Cabinet.
Although women legislators are significantly outnumbered by their male counterparts, especially in leadership roles, women are having a large impact on our political landscape. The women in Washington today are adding new voices to many important issues such as job creation and economic growth, sexual assault in the military, and national security issues. As noted above, their role in brokering a budget deal during last year’s government shutdown showed that members of both parties could successfully work together. The ability of four Republicans and 16 Democrats to reach a compromise highlights the potential for women legislators to change the current polarized political environment in Washington, and should be applauded. The historic number of women in political leadership roles symbolizes the hard work and dedication of many women who have fought for equal opportunity. While it is encouraging to see more women running campaigns, winning elections, and being appointed for political office, the need for deep and systematic change persists. The current level of representation is still far too low to be considered true equality of opportunity. To truly begin to see more women in the political landscape, three areas must be improved.
First, leaders in Washington must encourage, both through their statements and actions, effective policies that not only give women the opportunity to compete, but also build an environment in which women are supported and promoted equally.
Second, leaders of both parties have a responsibility to recruit qualified female candidates. In her appearance at the Baker Institute, Leader Pelosi said that early in her political career, she was recruited by an incumbent congresswoman to run for the House of Representatives. This should happen more; both Democrats and Republicans are losing strong candidates by not recruiting women. Several political action committees have been formed to fund female candidates, and this effort should continue. Currently, there are more Democratic than Republican female legislators, an area that must be addressed for the benefit of both parties. As Leader Pelosi put it, “we need more women in Washington.”
Third, women who are in elected positions now have a responsibility to reach out to other women in politics and play an active role in advocating for women. Women in the Senate have already begun to do this, with Sen. Barbara Mikulski organizing regular dinners for all of the women in Congress to discuss potential policy collaboration. The longer-serving senators have a history of aiding newer senators, and this should continue and be emulated by women in politics at all levels. Women still face challenges that their male counterparts do not, and building relationships between senior and junior legislators and politicians is crucial.
At the end of the Baker Institute event, Leader Pelosi had a strong message for young women: if opportunities arise, be ready to take advantage of them. Young women today have been presented with an immense opportunity and should take advantage of the trailblazing work of current women leaders to help shape the future of gender equality in the United States.
Samantha Hea is a junior at Rice University and an intern in the office of Baker Institute founding director Ambassador Edward Djerejian.