Please read this statement from close the gap with Emerge California, CaliforniaList, EMILY's List & Ignite - Women in Politics on their joint commitment to increase the # of women in the CA Legislature in 2016: #womeninpolitics #p2 #moreneeded
We are the National Women’s Political Caucus Los Angeles Westside (NWPC LA Westside), a multi-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process and creating a women’s political power base to achieve equality for all women. We endorse women for public office. We work to recruit, train, and support pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed offices and at all levels of government.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Statement on the loss of women from the CA Legislature and announcing joint effort to recruit, train and fund progressive women candidates for the 2016 ballot
Please read this statement from close the gap with Emerge California, CaliforniaList, EMILY's List & Ignite - Women in Politics on their joint commitment to increase the # of women in the CA Legislature in 2016: #womeninpolitics #p2 #moreneeded
Friday, November 7, 2014
Gender Gaps Apparent in Almost All 2014 Senate and Gubernatorial Races
For immediate release
Contact: Kathy Kleeman
The Center for American Women and Politics
732/932-9384, ext. 231
Gender gaps in voting were evident in almost all U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races where exit polls were conducted by Edison Research, according to an analysis by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. In almost all of the most hotly contested and highly publicized of these contests, the gender gap—the difference in the proportions of women and men who voted for the winning candidate—reached double digits.
In each race where a gender gap was evident, women were more likely than men to support the Democratic candidate and less likely to support the Republican candidate. Gender gaps of 6 to 16 percentage points were evident in all 22 of the US Senate races where exit polls were conducted. Similarly, among the 21 gubernatorial races where exit polls were conducted, gender gaps of 5 to 17 points were evident in 18.
Large gender gaps were evident in some of the most closely watched US Senate races. In Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and North Carolina, women voters were 11 to 15 percentage points more likely than men to vote for the Democratic candidate. In Iowa the gender gap was 9 percentage points, barely missing double digits. Similarly, gender gaps greater than 10 points were evident in highly competitive gubernatorial races in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Susan J. Carroll, senior scholar at CAWP, suggested, “Gender gaps were even larger than usual in many of the most contested statewide races this year with women notably more likely than men to vote for the Democratic candidate. Yet Republicans prevailed in most of these contests largely because men’s votes were so heavily skewed toward Republican candidates. Men’s preference for Republican candidates was simply stronger than women’s preference for Democratic candidates.”
A greater proportion of women voted for the Democratic than Republican candidate in 15 of 21 gubernatorial contests and 11 of 22 senate contests where exit polls were conducted. Even in races where the plurality of women voted for the Republican candidate, they did so by smaller margins than men.
A 10 percentage-point gender gap was also apparent in U.S. House races. Nationally, 51% of women compared with 41% of men voted for the Democratic congressional candidate in their district; 47% of women compared with 57% of men voted for a Republican for the U.S. House. This year’s gender gap was larger than the 6-point gap in the U.S. House vote in 2010 or the 8- point gap in 2012. Moreover, women’s preference for Democratic congressional candidates over their Republican opponents (51% versus 47%) is a notable change from the 2010 midterm election when women voters showed a slight preference for the GOP, with 49% voting for the Republican and 48% voting for the Democrat in congressional elections.
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More Information
Contact: Kathy Kleeman
The Center for American Women and Politics
732/932-9384, ext. 231
Gender Gaps Apparent in Almost All 2014 Senate and Gubernatorial Races;
Unlike 2010, a Majority of Women Voted for the Democratic Candidate in US House ContestsGender gaps in voting were evident in almost all U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races where exit polls were conducted by Edison Research, according to an analysis by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. In almost all of the most hotly contested and highly publicized of these contests, the gender gap—the difference in the proportions of women and men who voted for the winning candidate—reached double digits.
In each race where a gender gap was evident, women were more likely than men to support the Democratic candidate and less likely to support the Republican candidate. Gender gaps of 6 to 16 percentage points were evident in all 22 of the US Senate races where exit polls were conducted. Similarly, among the 21 gubernatorial races where exit polls were conducted, gender gaps of 5 to 17 points were evident in 18.
Large gender gaps were evident in some of the most closely watched US Senate races. In Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and North Carolina, women voters were 11 to 15 percentage points more likely than men to vote for the Democratic candidate. In Iowa the gender gap was 9 percentage points, barely missing double digits. Similarly, gender gaps greater than 10 points were evident in highly competitive gubernatorial races in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Susan J. Carroll, senior scholar at CAWP, suggested, “Gender gaps were even larger than usual in many of the most contested statewide races this year with women notably more likely than men to vote for the Democratic candidate. Yet Republicans prevailed in most of these contests largely because men’s votes were so heavily skewed toward Republican candidates. Men’s preference for Republican candidates was simply stronger than women’s preference for Democratic candidates.”
A greater proportion of women voted for the Democratic than Republican candidate in 15 of 21 gubernatorial contests and 11 of 22 senate contests where exit polls were conducted. Even in races where the plurality of women voted for the Republican candidate, they did so by smaller margins than men.
A 10 percentage-point gender gap was also apparent in U.S. House races. Nationally, 51% of women compared with 41% of men voted for the Democratic congressional candidate in their district; 47% of women compared with 57% of men voted for a Republican for the U.S. House. This year’s gender gap was larger than the 6-point gap in the U.S. House vote in 2010 or the 8- point gap in 2012. Moreover, women’s preference for Democratic congressional candidates over their Republican opponents (51% versus 47%) is a notable change from the 2010 midterm election when women voters showed a slight preference for the GOP, with 49% voting for the Republican and 48% voting for the Democrat in congressional elections.
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More Information
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Women for Sheila Event on October 11
Please join NWPC LA Westside Board Members Robyn Ritter Simon, Karriann Farrell Hinds, and Lindsay Bubar, along with many women leaders across Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 11th to support Sheila Khuel in her campaign for election to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Sheila is an unwavering advocate for our most important issues and we need your help to make sure that she is elected! Click here to RSVP
Women Hold Up Half The Sky For Sheila
at the home of Home of Lauri and Dennis Crane
Oct 11 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Sheila Kuehl was one of the most prolific
legislators in the State Legislator on issues important to women’s
lives: Paid Family Leave, child care, domestic violence, sexual assault,
equal pay, workplace and housing discrimination and many others. Join
over 40 co-hosts for this vibrant gathering to make sure Sheila can
continue this important work on the Board of Supervisors.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
2nd Global Symposium: Gender in the Media
Global Symposiums 2014
Los Angeles, AMC Century City 15, Oct. 6
"Our symposiums convene leading CEOs and decision makers in the entertainment industry, corporations and non-profit organizations interested in the empowerment of women and girls.
We will be presenting research findings from the first-ever Global Gender in Film Study, Gender Bias without Borders, which analyzes female character representation and portrayals in the top 11 theatrical box office grossing countries.
The study investigates each country’s locally produced films including: Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom, and United States. This is a quantitative study that looks at a number of key data points including representation comparisons, portrayals, attributes, sexuality, and careers.
The symposiums will center around high-level panel discussions focusing on the impact of global film on women and girls as well as best practices to drive change.
See our listing of our Honorary Committee members."
"Our symposiums convene leading CEOs and decision makers in the entertainment industry, corporations and non-profit organizations interested in the empowerment of women and girls.
We will be presenting research findings from the first-ever Global Gender in Film Study, Gender Bias without Borders, which analyzes female character representation and portrayals in the top 11 theatrical box office grossing countries.
The study investigates each country’s locally produced films including: Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom, and United States. This is a quantitative study that looks at a number of key data points including representation comparisons, portrayals, attributes, sexuality, and careers.
The symposiums will center around high-level panel discussions focusing on the impact of global film on women and girls as well as best practices to drive change.
See our listing of our Honorary Committee members."
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Reclaiming the Words That Smear
Reclaiming the Words That Smear
THE NEW YORK TIMESBy ASHLEY PARKER
LINK
AMES, Iowa — “UNBECOMING.” “Miss Congeniality.” Not sufficiently “ladylike.” In politics, these words and phrases have long been used to belittle female candidates. But now, female politicians are increasingly trying to rethink — and reclaim — how language shapes how they are perceived.
Recently, Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, trained her sights on a single word — “ladylike.” “Ladylike,” Ms. McCaskill told an audience at Iowa State University last month, means, “Speak out, be strong, take charge, change the world” — all traits she thinks female leaders, or even the first female president, should have, and characteristics she believes are “very, very ladylike.” The term had a very different meaning when, during her 2012 re-election campaign, her opponent, Todd Akin, then a representative, described her performance during a debate as not particularly “ladylike,” and “very aggressive.”
Ms. McCaskill joins a long line of powerful women who are trying to use gender-based words to their advantage. Bella S. Abzug, a feminist and antiwar activist, first ran for Congress in 1970 with the slogan “This woman’s place is in the House — the House of Representatives!”
In 2002, when Mitt Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts against Shannon O’Brien and described her debate performance as “unbecoming,” Ms. O’Brien derided him as a sexist, and Hillary Rodham Clinton and Teresa Heinz Kerry held a rally on her behalf, praising all the “unbecoming women” who turned out in support. And Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, began her political career after a state lawmaker dismissed her as “just a mom in tennis shoes.” The insult prompted Ms. Murray to run for the Senate — and she adopted “mom in tennis shoes” as a campaign motto she still uses.
“The history of social movements is full of things that were a pejorative being reclaimed,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s a powerful means of subverting the original use, and it invites reflection on the intention of the original use. It’s a jujitsu move.”
Ms. McCaskill said she hoped that reclaiming the word “ladylike” would encourage more women to run for office. The “ladylike” message is one she said she wished she had heard as a young woman.
“I wanted to be validated in the fact that I had ambition and the fact that I was aggressive about the things I believed in and that I was highly opinionated,” Ms. McCaskill said in an interview. “I wanted someone to tell me that it was not only O.K. but it was terrific, and I think the more of us that reinforce that message, the more women we’re going to have running for president in the next decade.”
Some are pushing back in other ways. In the corporate world, Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, recently began a “Ban Bossy” campaign with the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., to discourage the use of a word she says is used to put down assertive young girls.
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story
As women increasingly take on high-profile roles in politics — the current 113th Congress boasts a record number of women, with 20 in the Senate and 82 in the House — scholars and campaign operatives say attacking sexism head-on is likely to become a more common, and effective, tactic.
“The more female candidates there are, the easier it is for any individual one of them to talk about these issues and try to find new ways of dealing with it,” said Deborah Tannen, a linguist at Georgetown University.
Sexist statements also can be used to rally the base. The day that Mr. Akin made his comments about “legitimate rape,” Emily’s List, a political action committee that backs female candidates who support abortion rights, raised $280,000 off his remarks.
“We know that running a campaign on being a woman isn’t the way to win, but that there’s a way to turn around sexist attacks and use it as a sticking point to drive home your agenda,” said Marcy Stech, national press secretary at Emily’s List.
Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster, said that research she had done as part of “Name It, Change It,” a nonpartisan project to end sexist coverage of female candidates, found that while sexist coverage hurt female politicians, responding to it could benefit them. Sometimes, even the mere hint of sexism is enough to hurt the candidate perpetrating the language.
As a candidate in 2008, Barack Obama faced a swift backlash after he quipped that Mrs. Clinton was “likable enough” during a debate. And Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, was called “Miss Congeniality” and a “prom queen” by her male opponent and his campaign team during her 2012 re-election fight, comments she largely chose to ignore. “I think it worked to my advantage because the people in Minnesota decided how they felt about it themselves,” Ms. Klobuchar said.
Many Republicans dismiss the so-called war on women, arguing that their party’s economic agenda is one that will appeal to women. But Katie Packer Gage, a founder of Burning Glass, a team of all-female political operatives working with Republicans on messaging to women, nonetheless offers a warning to Republican candidates: “The Democrats are going to try to manufacture a Todd Akin moment,” she said.
The current effort to aggressively confront sexism, said Ms. Lake, the Democratic pollster, has taken on a newfound urgency with the possibility of a Hillary Clinton candidacy.
“A lot of Democratic women are really eager to call this out now because they want to create a different kind of environment for Hillary to run in,” she said. “It’s just like, ‘This is our candidate, this is our leader, and we’re just not going to take it anymore.’ ”
_______________________________________________________________
Ashley Parker is a reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times.
Kitty Bennett contributed research.
http://nyti.ms/1qrbM2H
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Upcoming Candidate Events
BETTY YEE
Please join Senator Ricardo Lara, Assemblymember Cristina Garcia,
Assemblymember Anthony Rendon, Senator Martha Escutia (retired),
and Bell Councilmember Ali Saleh
for an Evening Reception to support
Betty Yee's Campaign for California State Controller
Assemblymember Anthony Rendon, Senator Martha Escutia (retired),
and Bell Councilmember Ali Saleh
for an Evening Reception to support
Betty Yee's Campaign for California State Controller
Monday, September 22, 2014
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Cities Restaurant and Lounge
4512 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90022
Contribution Levels:
Patron: $100 | Friend: $75 | Guest: $50
RSVP by Thursday, September 18, 2014 to Patricia Cheng by emailing
Patricia@BettyYee.com or by calling (415) 813-1933
http://bettyyee.com/
_____________________________________________________________________
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Cities Restaurant and Lounge
4512 East Cesar E Chavez Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90022
Contribution Levels:
Patron: $100 | Friend: $75 | Guest: $50
RSVP by Thursday, September 18, 2014 to Patricia Cheng by emailing
Patricia@BettyYee.com or by calling (415) 813-1933
http://bettyyee.com/
_____________________________________________________________________
Please join Steve & Ilene Rosenthal and Marc & Lyn Cohen
for an Evening Reception to support
Betty Yee for California State Controller
Betty Yee for California State Controller
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Home of Marc & Lyn Cohen
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(Address provided upon RSVP)
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(Address provided upon RSVP)
Platinum: $1,000
Gold: $500
Silver: $250
Friend: $100
Gold: $500
Silver: $250
Friend: $100
RSVP by Friday, September 26, 2014 to Patricia Cheng by emailing
Patricia@BettyYee.com or by calling (415) 813-1933.
Patricia@BettyYee.com or by calling (415) 813-1933.
_____________________________________________________________________
Please join Lily Tomlin, Paula Poundstone and Guest MC Fred Willard at the Catalina Club in Hollywood for a night of laughs and a buffet supper to benefit
Sheila Kuehl's campaign
Sunday, October 12, 2014
6:00 pm
Catalina Club
6725 West Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
Sheila won the June primary by more than 10,000 votes but faces a tough run-off in November. A brilliant and innovative leader, her 14 years in the California Senate and Assembly armed her with deep experience in the issues faced every day by our LA County Supervisors: healthcare, foster care, juvenile justice, public safety, environmental protection, transportation, budget management, housing and homelessness, civil rights, small business issues and jobs
Please join us in supporting a truly remarkable public servant and candidate!
Please make checks payable to Kuehl For Supervisor 2014
Mail to: Sheila Kuehl, C/O TAI Events,
13636 Ventura Blvd. #416, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Please write "Catalina" in the memo line.
Include your Occupation and Employer for donation processing.
For questions or to RSVP by phone, call TAI Events at (310) 996-1188
To learn more about Sheila, please visit www.KuehlForSupervisor.com
_____________________________________________________________________
Improve your campaign, messaging, and communication skills
Here is an event that you or someone you know may be interested in attending:
2014 Democratic Club & Activist Summit
WHEN:
September 13, 2014 @ 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
WHERE:
California State University Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032
COST:
Summit is free. Donations of $10 to $20 per attendee will be
requested to help underwrite the cost of the event and lunch.
CONTACT:
Clark Lee
No charge to attend the summit. Lunch will be provided.
Donations of $10 to $20 per attendee will be requested to help underwrite the
cost of the event and lunch. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
At 6:00 PM there will be an optional dinner, at a cost of
$40, featuring a participative discussion on important policy issues.
RSVP for
dinner is required by September 9, 2014 by calling 213-382-4111 or emailing
summit@lacdp.org. Dinner reservations are likely to sell out, so reserve your
spot today.
The summit will take place in the California State
University LA campus in the Golden Eagle Building, 2nd Floor Ballroom, in
Section 3. Parking is available for $6 all day in Parking Structure C
Venue is accessible. Call 213-382-4111 or email
summit@lacdp.org for disabled-access or
reduced-distance parking.
To RSVP call (213) 382-4111 or
email summit@lacdp.org.
URL: http://www.lacdp.org/ai1ec_event/2014-democratic-club-activist-summit/#sthash.SX4TWyya.dpuf
URL: http://www.lacdp.org/ai1ec_event/2014-democratic-club-activist-summit/#sthash.SX4TWyya.dpuf
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Campaign Updates as of Sept. 9
Election 2014: Women Candidates for U.S. Congress and Statewide Elected Executive Office in California
(as of 9/9/14) - from the Center for American Women and Politics
See All
About the Center for American Women and Politics:
The Center for American Women and Politics
(CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The
State University of New Jersey, is nationally recognized as the
leading source of scholarly research and current data about American
women’s political participation.Friday, August 29, 2014
Federal Judge Strikes Down Restrictive Texas Abortion Law
BREAKING NEWS
Fri 8/29/2014 3:00 PM
Fri 8/29/2014 3:00 PM
| A federal judge in Austin, Tex., on Friday blocked a stringent new rule that would have forced more than half the state’s remaining abortion clinics to close. |
| The rule, requiring all abortion clinics to meet the building standards of hospital-style surgery centers, was set to take effect on Monday. But in his opinion, Judge Lee Yeakel of the United States District Court in Austin, said that the mandate placed an unconstitutional burden on a woman’s right to an abortion. |
READ MORE »http://nyti.ms/1n5Eljh |
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Why are so many white men trying to save the planet without the rest of us?
Why are so many white men trying to save the planet without the rest of us?
Climate change affects minorities and women, the elderly and the poor. But the leadership of the environmental movement is pale and male. That doesn't look like progress
Americans are regularly told that climate change is happening here and now, in real time, and that nobody will be left unscathed. Just this week as a corporate-backed disinformation campaign continued to fuel lobbying against climate science and on behalf of a failed vote on the Keystone XL pipeline, the White House released a landmark climate change report, underlining that "[c]ertain people and communities are especially vulnerable, including children, the elderly, the sick, the poor, and some communities of colour." According to the even more landmark IPCC report, that goes for the developing world and rich countries alike.
Just the other day, the National Wildlife Federation announced its new president – a white male "whiz kid". Last month, the Climate Reality Project, founded by Al Gore, replaced its female chief executive with a white man. Last November, the National Parks and Conservation Association replaced its veteran leader with another white male. The Union of Concerned Scientists is due to announce its new leader as early as next week. Spoiler alert: it's not going to be a woman.
Public opinion research in the US suggests women, Latinos, African-Americans, Asians and Native Americans are more concerned – and more directly affected – by climate change than other populations. Doesn't it make sense to include those who are most at risk in decisions about how we fight the defining challenge of our time?
Now take a look at the top executives at eight of the top 10 groups devoted to fighting that fight:
Sierra Club? White male.
Nature Conservancy? White male.
League of Conservation Voters? White male.
World Wildlife Fund? White male.
Environmental Defense Fund? White male.
Friends of the Earth? White male.
National Audubon Society? White male.
Nature Conservancy? White male.
The very top of "Big Green" is as white and male as a Tea Party meet-up. It doesn't look like change. It doesn't even look like America. So is it any wonder environmental groups are having trouble connecting with the public on climate change? Corporate and conservative funding of climate denial is one thing, but it's beyond past time for the leaders of this movement to look at how their choice in leadership is affecting their strategy and messaging.
It's not as if there haven't been opportunities: the last few years have seen a generational change as more and more founding activists of the 1970s have retired. But rather than embrace the turnover as a chance to make change, we have exceptions to the old-white-man rule:
Set aside for a moment the equality-in-the-boardroom part. America is in the midst of a demographic transformation. By mid-century – as the effects of climate change really begin to bite – whites will no longer be the majority population. In California, Latinos became the single biggest ethnic/racial population last March.
And yet the environmental groups that are calling for sweeping changes to the economy – moving away from oil and coal to carbon-free sources of energy – seem incapable of making a transition themselves.
"The community should challenge itself in the same way that it challenges corporate America to change the business-as-usual trend," Kalee Kreider, a former environmental advisor to Al Gore, wrote me in an email. "It's well past time for the environmental movement to look more like America and the world."
That gap between activists and Americans has resulted in some bad decisions. In 2009, with Obama in the White House and Democrats controlling both houses of Congress, Big Green took a roll on the once-in-a-generation chance of trying to pass climate change legislation. Their strategy? Engage in a series of clubby, back-room negotiations with the chief executives of oil and utility companies to reach a deal that achieved some carbon cuts – while limiting the costs to big business. The insider deal suffered a spectacular collapse.
Then there's the messaging. Environmental groups are only now beginning to wake up to the idea that bombarding the public with graphs and statistics is not, on its own, going to persuade people that climate change has anything to do with their own lives.
Meanwhile, beyond Washington, and beyond the male-dominated preserves of Big Green, women activists are just getting on with the job – without that White House access or the expensive consultants paid for by the biggest of big donors.
It's worth remembering that one of the biggest victories for the environmental movement in recent years – last month's indefinite delay on the Keystone XL pipeline – was achieved thanks to the efforts of Bold Nebraska, a tiny environmental group with just three paid staffers, which assembled an unlikely coalition of ranchers, Native Americans and other activists operating in one of the country's most conservative states.
The president of Bold Nebraska who was so instrumental to that breakthrough? Why, that would be one Jane Fleming Kleeb.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Women Candidates Know These 5 Truths
Women Candidates Know These 5 Truths
By: Mary HughesPosted:
Across the country filing deadlines are passing and political campaigns are underway. With women at such a deficit in every state legislature (24 percent) and in Congress (18 percent), we need good women candidates running their best races. So perhaps a few reminders are in order:
1. Reflexive modesty undercuts voters' perceptions of your strength and competence. From an early age, many women learn to share credit and to make everyone a proud part of a successful enterprise. Perhaps moms are passing down the quality they believe make them good family managers and peacekeepers. Unfortunately, elections are singular pursuits resulting in winners and losers. Speaking plainly about achievements is essential to conveying readiness to lead.
Too often, women use language like "We organized" or "I helped build..." or "My team succeeded..." when in fact, they were the brains, drive and direction that led to success. No one likes a braggart, but a forthright description of ingenuity and hard work doesn't need to be offensive. Giving voters a true picture of what a candidate has accomplished is critical to success.
2. Raising money is about making a case for the cause. Recent research confirms that asking for money is a standard requirement of candidates for public office. The anxiety, avoidance and fear of failure that often accompany fundraising stem from a misunderstanding: That soliciting financial support means risking personal rejection. Not so. The best fundraisers enlist supporters in a cause rooted in their shared values. They ask for funding to achieve a policy goal, solve a problem of common concern and provide potential donors with proof of viability and a roadmap for success.
Raising issues that other candidates have not -- poverty, access to health care, early childhood education -- can be powerful. For many donors, keeping their issues visible and well argued is enough to prompt them to give. A candidate's personal qualities and political viability are factors in a donor's assessment, but not the only ones. And a donor who declines today may reconsider tomorrow.
3. Career "time-outs" are not a political liability. Few women start work and continue on uninterrupted over the course of a lifetime. Many start and stop several times; some switch from full to part-time work to accommodate family responsibilities. Other change jobs or careers.
Rather than see this pattern as debilitating, embrace it for the wisdom accumulated and the political base built. The very activities required of moms and caregivers expand their political networks and give women experiences that deepen their understanding of what's needed in public policy. Consider it a competitive advantage.
The neighborhood cobbler and dry cleaner, doctor and dentist, teacher and coach, recycling center volunteer and hospital staff can form a powerful base from which to launch a candidacy. Instead of worrying over conclusions that voters may draw about employment "gaps," women do well to mine those gaps for community ties and experiences that tell voters, "I'm like you. I get your life."
4. Women ignore gender-biased media coverage at their own peril. Many women believe it is a sign of sophistication to brush off gender-biased press coverage. Those who aspire to high office are not whiners, right? But what does it say about a candidate if she will not stand up for herself? How will she be able to stand up for the voters?
If a news story, column or comment derives from a woman's gender and the net effect is to make her "less than..." it must be addressed. According to "Name It, Change It," a study commissioned by the Women's Campaign Fund and Women's Media Center, it is necessary to identify the offense in order to change the practice.
Whether the conversation is between a candidate and a reporter, or a press conference demand for a wholesale change in editorial policy depends on the particulars. The point is: Women can't let sexism go. When voters hear the debate, they make fair judgments, but they can't be fair if they don't get the facts. Belittling press coverage is an opportunity for candidates to show how really big they are.
5. "Vote for me. We need more women" is not a winning appeal. Voters want to select the best person for the job. Asking them to make a judgment based on an immutable characteristic -- race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc. -- isn't making the best case. Accomplishment and character; vision, problem-solving and diligence rank high among qualities voters are looking for.
Recent research concludes that working together women and men get better results than teams of only one gender. There is more and more evidence that women in legislative bodies change the agenda, procedures, content and outcomes of policy debates. And there are other benefits of having women in office. In other words, women elected officials act differently and make a difference. But that is a conversation and message to be delivered by advocacy groups.
Winning candidates focus on what they can do for the people they hope to represent.
How they do that signals the kind of leader they will be. Some questions for candidates:
• What will you do to lighten their load? (Purposeful)
• How will you make government solutions work for everyone? (Knowledgeable)
• What are the specific, realistic changes you can make? (Practical)
• What have you done before that demonstrates you can do this now? (Accomplished)
• What can you share that communicates: "I am like you. I am for you?" (Connected)
• Will voters always be proud that they chose you? (Honorable)
URL:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-hughes/winning-women-candidates-_b_5161539.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Join Us This Saturday, April 12th, For A Senate District 26 Panel Discussion
Join us at 11:00 AM on Saturday April 12 for a panel discussion with the women candidates in the Senate District 26 race, moderated by Kafi Blumenfield.
Space limited - RSVP Requested, to nwpcla@gmail.com
Location:
Santa Monica Library
601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica 90401
Santa Monica Library
601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica 90401
Event Website:
RSVP to nwpcla@gmail.com
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
WEHO Women's Conference April 4-5
April 4-5, 2014: WEHO Women's Leadership Conference
The 8th annual West
Hollywood's Women's Leadership Conference: Unlimited Opportunities -
Knowledge.Power.Community. will be held April 4 - 5, 2014!
The mission of the West Hollywood Women's Leadership Conference is to
provide tools and support, inspired by the City's Core Values, for
women to be successful leaders in their private lives, in business and
in the community.
The 2014
Keynote Leadership Luncheon panel will feature an innovative
and in-depth discussion around Women in the Arts & Media and will
feature Patt Morrison, LA Times Columnist and Pulitzer Prize
Winner; Charmaine Jefferson, Executive Director of the California
African American Museum; Jane Espenson, Writer and Producer of hit shows
such asBuffy the Vampire Slayer, Once Upon a Time, and the acclaimed
online series Husbands; and Brad Bell, Writer, Actor, and Producer of
the acclaimed online series Husbands!
April 5, 2014
9 am - 4:30 pm
West Hollywood Park
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Controller Ron Galperin Creates Snapshot of Women at Work in Los Angeles
In honor of Women's History Month, the Controller's Office used the vast amounts of data that they have put on their "ControlPanelLA" to create afirst annual snapshot of the status of women in Los Angeles City government. What they found confirms what many of us already know - while we have made great strides to close the wage gap, there is still much more work ahead of us to achieve true parity.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Reposted from the Center for American Women and Politics
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House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi visited Rutgers for a conversation
with CAWP director Debbie Walsh. More than 500 students, faculty, staff
and friends of the Center were inspired by Leader Pelosi's observations
on leadership, policy, and the experience and impact of women in
Congress. If you weren't one of the lucky audience members, you can
still catch the discussion 
Special thanks to Eileen Fisher for an unprecedented boost to our work!
Saturday, March 22 was a great day to shop - and support women's
leadership programs. Every Eileen Fisher store in the U.S participated,
with 10% of the day's proceeds going to CAWP's NEW Leadership™ and Ready
to Run™ programs, both in New Jersey and around the country. CAWP
created a special 
Ready to Run™ NJ brought women from across the Garden State - as well
as visitors from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and even Colorado - to
master the nuts and bolts of campaigning to win. 
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