In 1991, women across the country watched as Anita Hill bravely testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas. They watched in shock as the all-male committee spent its time hurling sexist questions and belittling remarks toward Hill. Those hearings inspired thousands of women to step forward the next year and run for office. 1992 became known as the Year of the Woman with a then-record number of first-time women candidates elected at every level from school board to Congress.
We saw a similar set of events to the 1991 hearings transpire earlier this month as Republicans attacked Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson with coded language and thinly veiled remarks during her Supreme Court hearings. The underrepresentation of women and the absence of Black women in the Senate was very apparent during that questioning. And much like 1992, women are again seeing that the only way to change a legislative body that they don’t see themselves in is to run for it. 2022 might just turn into the next Year of the Woman.
Despite making some significant gains in recent years, women are still underrepresented in elected office across the board. We make up just 31.2% of state legislative seats and 31.5% of municipal seats. In higher office, only 27% of Congress and 18% of governorships are held by women. This number becomes even more dramatic for women of color who make up only 37% of the Congressional seats women hold with no Black women currently serving as U.S. Senators.
But rather than being discouraged by these numbers, women are stepping forward to run in unprecedented numbers. At Emerge, we’ve already seen a wave of women interested in our programs this year–more than 100 women have applied to our upcoming national candidate boot camp–and we aren’t alone. A record number of Black women are expected to run this year including in key races. Six Black women such as Stacey Abrams in Georgia are looking to become the first Black woman governor, while at least 16 Black women are running for Senate, shattering the previous record of 12 on the ballot in 2020. Additionally, local and statewide offices are seeing renewed interest. For instance, a record number of women are running for the Democratic nomination for their state attorney general offices.
There is also already a palpable excitement from voters for races women are running in this year. Democratic women Senate candidates in states like Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, and North Carolina are significantly outraising their potential GOP opponents. All four are key seats that will help determine control of the Senate for the next six years.In Kentucky, Keturah Herron recently won her race to become the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the State House of Representatives. Earlier this year, Maryam Khan became the first Muslim ever elected to the Connecticut State House. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s Spring elections earlier this week showed a huge outpour of support for women candidates with 27 Emerge alums winning their races.
It makes sense we are seeing this kind of support across the board, because having more women in office makes our decision making bodies more effective. Studies have found women to be more effective legislators–they sponsor more bills, get more legislation signed into law, and send more money to their districts. Following 1992, the new cohort of women Senators made strides in neglected policy arenas such as pay equality, increased federal research for women’s health, and gun safety–areas that were traditionally overlooked by the male-dominated body. In recent years, we’ve seen the formation of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, a critical initiative that was created because of the work of then newly-elected Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. As more women’s rights are under attack including bodily autonomy and access to birth control, women legislators bring in their experiences, voices, and insights to protecting and expanding our rights even as bad faith actors seek to strip them away.
This past month has again highlighted why we need more women in office and it’s leading to renewed interest and passion from women across the country. Judge Jackson’s treatment during her confirmation hearings underscored the need for more women to transform our institutions, and we are answering that call. Not only are women candidates excited to run up and down the ballot, but voters are excited to support them in their bids. Once elected, the impact these women will have on our offices and institutions will be profound and bring new representation to light. As 2022 shapes up to be the next Year of the Woman, be sure to support women across the country. They are the future.