taxation without representation

Too often, Americans have a way of being cultural imperialists and assuming that we're the ones breaking down barriers. The sad fact is we're actually one of the least enlightened nations when it comes to having women in elected office.

The United States ranks 60th in the world in terms of women's representation in elected national legislatures, out of 180 countries that directly elect representatives.

Take a look at these stats — and then write your Congresswoman to see what we can do about this in the U.S.

Nationally
Currently women hold 73, or 13.6%, of the seats in the U.S. Congress.
There are 14 women in the Senate (out of 100) and 59 in the House (out of 435).
Women of color comprise only 3.4% of Congress, and there are no women of color in the Senate.

• Jeanette Rankin (Montana) was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives - 1916
• Hattie Caraway (Arkansas) was the first woman elected to the U. S. Senate - 1932
• Shirley Chisholm (New York) was the first African American congresswoman - 1969
• Patsy Mink (Hawaii) was the first Asian American woman elected to Congress - 1965

Of the nearly 600 people who have served in the U. S. President's Cabinet since President Washington's term, only 29 have been women. The first female Cabinet officer was Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, appointed in 1933 by Franklin Roosevelt. In a 2003 national U.S. Gallup poll, 92% of people surveyed said that they would vote for a qualified female for president.

Internationally
Nine women currently serve as elected leaders of their countries:

1. Chandrika Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka
2. Mary McAleese of Ireland
3. Vaira Viike-Freiberga of Latvia
4. Mireya Elisa Moscoso de Arias of Panama
5. Helen Elizabeth Clark of New Zealand
6. Tarja Kaarina Halonen of Finland
7. Maria Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Phillippines
8. Dr. Angela Dorothea Merkel of Germany
9. Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh

Statewide
There have been 25 women governors in United States history. Only 9 states currently have women governors. Of the 7,362 current members of state legislatures, 22.3% (1,647) are women and 4% (298) are women of color.

Source: Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University; The White House Project

Via the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership