We need more women on the ballot

It’s been nearly a century since the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote. Since then, American women have fallen far short of achieving equal representation in Congress or in state legislatures.

Women hold just 19.6 percent of the 535 seats in the U.S. Congress and only 25 percent of state legislative seats nationwide.

When it comes to electing women, New Hampshire has had some notable successes: in 1999, we were the first state to have a female governor, Senate president and speaker of the House at the same time. In 2008, we elected a majority-women state Senate. Four years later, we were the first state in the country to send an all-female delegation to Congress.

But New Hampshire still has a long way to go. There are only 117 women in New Hampshire’s 400-member House of Representatives. Seven of 24 state senators are women. That amounts to a Legislature in which women occupy less than one-third of the seats.

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation wants to change that.

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that invests in opportunity and equality for women and girls in the Granite State through advocacy, education, research and grantmaking. Our Women Run! program aims to increase women’s political participation — regardless of party affiliation — in the Granite State.

When women run for office, they are just as likely to win as men. But women are significantly less likely to run, creating a massive gender gap in political ambition.

Experts cite many reasons for this, but two stand out: Women feel less qualified to run than men despite having similar education and experience, and women are less likely than men to receive positive encouragement to run for office.

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation wants to break down those barriers. We’ve partnered with Vote Run Lead and She Should Run, two national nonpartisan organizations, to provide training, education, community and mentorship to women thinking about or planning to run for elected office.

In September we kicked off this groundbreaking program with Vote Run Lead’s “Run As You Are” training, hosting 40 women from every corner of the state. In the months ahead, we’re hosting a series of community conversations, talking with women about the value they can bring to local government. In partnership with She Should Run, participants will engage with current and former local leaders about their experiences running for and serving in municipal office.

We believe women’s representation in government matters. Women make up half the Granite State’s population, and they out-register and out-vote men. It’s common sense that 50 percent of our elected officials — regardless of party — should be women. It’s past time to ensure that women feel ready to run. The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation is committed to helping build pathways to elected office for all Granite State women. If you’re a woman who is ready to step up and serve your community, we want to help get your name on the ballot.