June 6, 2017
NEWS & NOTES
A newsletter to keep you informed about all things women and politics from the Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University.
Assessing Gender Barriers in Election 2016
Gender presented significant challenges in Election 2016, well beyond those confronting the first woman topping a major party ticket. So says a post in the Ms. Magazine blog from CAWP director Debbie Walsh and Barbara Lee, founder and president of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, Their commentary highlights issues presented in the final report from Presidential Gender Watch 2016, noting that "it was important to insist that analyzing gender dynamics in election 2016 was not limited to assessing one woman's success or failure. Even the first woman's victory would not erase centuries of gender norms and expectations in presidential politics that associate power with men and masculinity." Read the blog post as well as the  full report or the highlights, and please share and let us know what you think.  Join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook using #GenderWatch2016.
They're Off and Running
It's Election Day in New Jersey, with primaries for governor and the entire state legislature as well as local offices. New Jersey is one of just two states with statewide elections this year; Virginia holds its primaries on June 13.  The New York Times  has the stori es of women in both states dipping their toes in political waters for the first time. To see where  else women are running, visit CAWP's Election Watch page, which includes  2017 candidates  as well as  The Buzz  about women expected to run in 2018. 
Public Speaking: Scarier than Spiders?
jackson-brewer More people fear public speaking than fear death, spiders or heights, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health. That's why the latest Ready to Run® interactive workshop, on Thursday, June 29 from 9:00 am- noon at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, will focus on effective public speaking and presentation skills. Led by Professor Karla Jackson-Brewer, a skilled and encouraging trainer, participants will learn how to deliver a message more powerfully and how to identify their own authentic style, along with secrets of verbal and nonverbal communications techniques to capture and maintain any audience's interest and tips for dealing with speech anxiety.
13 Who Persisted
CAWP's Teach a Girl to Lead TM initiative is always on the lookout for resources that showcase women leaders and encourage kids to recognize that women can be great leaders. New on our bookshelf for 4-8 year-olds is  She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, written by Chelsea Clinton and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. The book tells the stories of inspiring leaders and role models including Margaret Chase Smith and Sonia Sotomayor from the world of public leadership, as well as Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Sally Ride, and more! 
It's time to help women get involved in shaping our government. 
Make a contribution to CAWP today!  Thank you.    
A New Governor and Two Potential Governors
And then there were six -- women governors, that is. The Des Moines Register  reports on the inauguration of Gov. Kim Reynolds, who became Iowa's chief executive when Gov. Terry Branstad resigned to become U.S. ambassador to China. Meanwhile, in Georgia, State House Minority Leader Stacy Abrams hopes to become the nation's first African-American woman governor, according to  The Washington Post. In Tennessee, State Senator Mae Beavers wants to be her state's first woman governor, per HuffPost Politics
 
Same Issue, Different Perspectives
Roll Call  tells the stories of two lawmakers -- Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. Each has a child with disabilities, but they come to very different conclusions about health care policy. 

Inside the Trump White House
Business Insider checks in with key women in the Trump White House to find out what it's like to work there. 

She Did It, and You Can Too
Elle, as part of its series encouraging women to run for office by highlighting women who ran and won, introduces us to Washington State Senator Rebecca Saldaña. 

She's Not Doing It, and Here's Why
Kim Weaver has dropped her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Steve King in Iowa. She cited death threats, family issues, and the risk of being unable to secure health insurance if she quit her job. WHO-TV has the story. 

Women Vets Aim to Get Elected
NBC News  says women veterans are stepping up to run for office. How about the challenge of being one of few women in a state legislature or Congress? One of the vets asserts, "Pretty much everywhere I've gone there have been more men than women. I think it uniquely prepares me for office. It's not intimidating at all." 

She Refuses to be Bullied
Foreign Policy says German Chancellor Angela Merkel has a way of dealing with bullies on the global scene. 

Developing New Leadership
CAWP always welcomes evidence that our programs are making an impact.
The Joplin Globe  highlights a local student who participated in our partner program at the University of Oklahoma, part of the  NEW Leadership™ National Network.
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