She Should Run 101

This September marks 12 years since our founding. We’ve done a lot in those 12 years to encourage women from all backgrounds to consider running for office, but there is still an uphill climb to building a democracy that fully represents the people it serves.

The existing data is clear: women simply do not run at the same rate as men. In order to address this “ambition gap,” our team is pushing to significantly increase the number of women we reach and engage with our free resources. We are committed to reaching every single woman in the pipeline–which sometimes means we need to think about the women who aren’t in the pipeline at all. 

We know that we need to dramatically increase the number of women running for office to get us closer to full representation, and the best way to do that is to meet women where they are, on the issues, and in the places and spaces that matter to them. 

Most women aren’t even thinking about a possible role in elected leadership; it’s our job to be someone’s first step into a future they didn’t even know existed. Here are a few helpful visuals to further explain our role:

Today, women remain underrepresented at every level of public office, and data from the UN shows that, collectively, we’re not on track to meet our 2030 gender equity goals–not even close. A drastic increase in the number of women we reach with programming, resources, and support is a critical piece in the equality puzzle. We won’t see a different future by simply voting for women already on the ballot–we need to normalize women’s political leadership, and your help is crucial to making it happen. Where to begin? Tell a woman in your life she should run for office, or better yet, consider it yourself! You can also support our mission with a donation here.