Minnesota Women’s Press hosted an event in April 2024 bringing together leaders from the Changemakers Alliance series to discuss women’s representation in Minnesota politics. Underwriters Nevada Littlewolf of Women Winning and Beth Peterson of Vote Run Lead highlighted the importance of diversity in politics and the impact women have in decision-making roles.
Research shows that women in office tend to pass more legislation, bring resources to their communities, and advocate for diverse perspectives. In Minnesota, there has been progress in gender parity in the U.S. House of Representatives and an increase in BIPOC representation in the state legislature.
Women Winning aims to elect pro-choice women to all levels of public office, emphasizing the importance of women in leadership roles for the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Vote Run Lead focuses on training and supporting women to run for office to achieve gender parity at the legislature.
With only 38% of state legislators being women or nonbinary, there is a push to recruit more women to run for rural county commission seats, mayoral races, and competitive state legislative districts. By encouraging friends and community members to consider running for office and providing candidate training, organizations like Women Winning and Vote Run Lead are working towards a reflective democracy that represents diverse lived experiences.
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Photo credit www.womenspress.com