Back in November during the midterm elections, women reached a milestone: there are now 100 women in Congress. What a great headline that makes. So, what does this bold and seemingly exciting statement mean for the progress of women, and what impact do 100 women make in Congress?
Well, let’s start by looking at the numbers. Congress has 535 members. There are 435 in the House of Representatives and 100 in the Senate. Yikes. That means not even a fifth of elected Congress members representing voters are female.
It basically boils down to the fact that new congresswomen aren’t being voted into office. According to The Washington Post, “[T]he presence of women in Congress still doesn’t appear poised to grow by more than a trickle.” The main bulk of congresswomen are incumbents. In fact, the number of women in the Senate remains the same as pre-election totals. The House increased to 84.
The problem with getting more women into office is that men are typically incumbents. They already hold the position, so it’s easy for them to stay in power for multiple terms. However, that could change as women compose approximately 50% of law school attendees. It’s an important figure because law school churns out many politicians. Another issue is women run less often than men, despite the fact that women have about an equal chance at winning an election.
All this talk is a sign that people question if women can wield power effectively. It’s yet another reason why feminism is important because how society views women still needs to change. This is hardly the correct place for a complete dissection of the importance of feminism, but it is relevant in practically any topic concerning disparities in gender success.
Perhaps things will change sooner rather than later. Recent research proves that women get more done in Congress. Women are able to pass more bills by crossing party lines to accomplish goals. So, it makes sense that each bill proposed by a woman has more support than those of their male counterparts.
So maybe growth is slow, but the numbers don’t lie. Women are getting more done than men. And the elections show that women have an equal chance of winning. Those are fair odds. Hopefully, a small surge in women now will create a domino effect that leads to a large increase in the future.
Feature Photo via Motley News