According to a new study by the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the University at Albany, the percentage of women state legislators increased by less than one percentage point over the eight-year period" spanning 1998-2005.
The study examined statewide elected officials, state legislators, high court judges, department heads, and top advisers in governors' offices.
Arizona tops the list with 38.6 percent of women in top positions, followed by Nevada, Vermont, Washington and New Mexico. Women in Mississippi held the lowest percentage of top government jobs, just 12.9 percent. Kentucky, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Dakota rounded out the five states with the lowest female representation.
Women hold fewer than a quarter of the top jobs in state governments and have made little progress increasing their representation in the last eight years . . .
From 1998 to 2005, the percentage of women in state government leadership positions rose from 23.1 percent to 24.7 percent . . .
In the United States today, eight women are governors; 15 women are lieutenant governors; and 15 women are chief justices of the state's highest court . . .
"After reporting for almost 10 years these very modest gains for women, I have come to believe it is a very persistent social phenomenon," said Judith Saidel, the study's project director.
"The problem does not appear to be going away."
No, and it won't go away until we change our unfair winner-take-all system into something - such as Proportional Representation - that gives democracy half a chance.
The Center for American Women & Politics has a list of potential women candidates for Congressional and Statewide Office in election year 2006. The list for Tennessee includes only Congressional candidates, they are:
US Sen. Rosalind Kurita (D)
US Rep.
US Rep. Laura Davis (D)
US Rep. Nikki Tinker (D)
Schree Petigrew (D) is running for State Rep. in district 18, currently held by renowned scoundrel and affront to all progressive thought, Stacey Campfield.
Hat tip to Jessica at Feministing
Feminism Women Legislators Women in Politics Glass Ceiling Proportional Representation
