| Nancy Mion & Judith McGinn
NYS Public Policy Directors
Women in Office in New York State
There is much information available on this important topic:
Did You Know? - Statistics based on the 2006 Elections
New York State
• The 2000 U.S. Census data show that women make up 51.8% of New York State’s population and 52.7% of residents of voting age, 18 years and older.
• New York State ranks 22 nationwide in the percentage of women in our state legislature. About in the middle. In the Assembly there are 39 women out of 150. The NYS Senate has 11 women out of 62 seats. Overall there are 50 women in the 212 member state legislature or 22%.
• Overall, in New York State, only 172 out of 989 individuals serving in county legislatures/board of supervisors, or 17.4% are women in 2006. The median number of women in a county legislature or board of supervisors is only 3.
• Women in New York’s county legislatures continue to serve in numbers well below their share of New York’s population. Their share of seats is also lower than women’s participation in New York’s congressional delegation and state legislature.
• Among the five largest cities - Albany, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester and Syracuse - women hold 31.25% of all the City Council seats. 4 out of the 5 City Councils have women serving as president/speaker. New York City has the highest percentage of women serving with 18/51 seats, or 35.29%. There is a report card available which gives details for many municipalities and counties around the state. A survey of women elected to local office in New York State shows little progress statewide, but pockets of strong momentum in several counties and cities. Dutchess (33.29% women) and Westchester (35.29% women) Counties and New York City (35.29% women) earn an A+ for electing a critical mass of women to their local governments.
The above information was extracted from a report by the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership. http://www.rochester.edu/SBA/
United States
In 2007, 87 women serve in the U.S. Congress. Sixteen women serve in the Senate, and 71 women serve in the House. The number of women in statewide elective executive posts is 76, while the proportion of women in state legislatures is at 23.5 percent.
Congress: women hold 87, or 16.3%, of the 535 seats in the 110th US Congress — 16, or 16.0%, of the 100 seats in the Senate and 71, or 16.4%, of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. In addition, three women serve as Delegates to the House from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC.
Statewide Elective Executive: In 2007, 76 women hold statewide elective executive offices across the country; women hold 24.1% of the 315 available positions. Among these women, 47 are Democrats, 26 are Republicans, one is an independent, and 3 were elected in nonpartisan races.
State Legislature: In 2007, 1,734, or 23.5%, of the 7,382 state legislators in the United States are women. Women hold 422, or 21.4%, of the 1,971 state senate seats and 1,312, or 24.2%, of the 5,411 state house seats. Since 1971, the number of women serving in state legislatures has more than quintupled.
The above summary is included in a report produced by the Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University. The entire report is available online. http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/
The following resolution was passed at the 2006 AAUW-NYS Convention:
Resolution Supporting State and Branch Action
To Promote/Educate Women to Run for Elected/Appointed Office
There is a dearth of women leaders in both elected and appointed political office. In our own state of New York women only make up 24.5% of state government leadership. The state legislature is only 22.6% female. Furthermore, New York places 25 th in the nation in this crucial area.
In order for us to achieve equity and positive societal change; core tenets of our AAUW mission, we need to ensure not only that women vote but that viable educated women run for political office. We must assume a more proactive role in our communities to promote and support our mission.
We must expand our coalitions with organizations that share similar goals regarding education, equity and our future.
Whereas, we are at a critical juncture in our history; where our rights as citizens and women are being eroded, eliminated or diminished;
Whereas we need to connect community service with public policy education;
Whereas we need effective representation that reflects our values, goals and mission of equity for all women and girls;
Be it resolved that AAUW-NYS branches and members work actively beyond our traditional advocacy channels of letter writing, e-mailing and providing candidate and issue forums
- to work with our local schools, colleges, universities and communities to establish a training program for women political candidates and potential appointees,
- to alert girls to their potential as political leaders
- to work in concert with existing groups and programs to strengthen their outreach into our communities as defined above,
- to help identify, mentor, support and elect more women to local, state and national government
in order to promote our mission, our issues, and positive societal change which comes from equality of representation in government.
Submitted by Susan Hearty
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A NEW Powerpoint presentation on Women in Government