The Alliance For Women

Women Who Run for Office Can Make a Difference
- by Rep. Joan Brady, Women's Caucus Chair

I'm staring at the official group photograph of the South Carolina House of Representatives attached to the front of my fridge.  Despite an array of my kids' cute pictures, inevitably when someone enters my kitchen, they gravitate to that photo and comment, "Aren't there any other women in the legislature?"

Following recent elections, the South Carolina General Assembly retains the honor of having the lowest percentage of women legislators in the nation. The current number is 17, down from a high of 22 in the mid 1990's.  The greater concern is the absence of women in the Senate, which has not been all male since 1980. But before you blame the Senate, it may very well be women's fault that South Carolina has such a lack of female representation. 

In a state where more than 50% of our population is female, less than one-fourth of all elected officials are women and not one of them holds a federal or constitutional office. Nationwide statistics reinforce this inequity. According to a Brookings Institution study released last summer, entitled, "Why Aren't Women Running for Office?", less than one fourth (1,764) of state legislators were female, up only slightly from 1996.
 
Women can't win if they don't run, so why don't more women run for office?  According to the Brookings study, women don't like the idea of entering the political arena. Some of the reasons given were that women are less willing to endure the rigors of a contentious campaign, and they are less likely to be recruited by their party.  Women quoted in the study also tend to believe that they are not as qualified as their male counterparts.  They also expressed a greater responsibility to their family, and considered themselves less well positioned to take time away from their career to devote to politics.  Combine the above with a perception that politics is simply not "lady-like" and you better understand our dilemma.

So, why is it important that women hold political office? Women need to be represented so they can bring attention to the issues affecting them and their families.  According to a recent study from the Institute for Women's Policy Research, as the number of women in a legislative body increases so too does the time spent on family issues, like child care, education and health care.
 
Since being in the legislature, I have sponsored numerous bills, several focus on women and family issues.  One bill improved community safety by amending the Sex Offender Registry; another placed restrictions on where convicted sex offenders may reside. A third bill helped address children's health issues with legislation protecting minors from the dangers of "meth" use, and a fourth helped educate the public about the HPV vaccine for young girls. This session, I will be promoting three new bills: one on Teen Dating Violence; one on adoption procedures; and one on divorce laws.

The SC General Assembly Women's Caucus strives to be an effective advocate in the legislature for women and families.  The Women's Caucus is a bi-partisan group of female legislators that meets each month during the legislative session. The luncheon meetings, which are open to the public, offer members a forum for discussion on current legislation and women's related topics.  Every spring, the Caucus remembers former representative, Jean Laney Harris, with a recognition luncheon in honor of female elected officials from across the state.  This year's event will be held on March 25th at Seawells in Columbia.  As incoming chair of the Women's Caucus, I will work with our members to expand caucus visibility through our new website.  In addition, members are sponsoring "roundtable" discussions throughout the state, speaking with women and gaining perspective on quality of life issues.  By partnering with groups like The Alliance for Women, the Women's Caucus hopes to encourage more women to get engaged in the political process by seeking appointments on boards and commissions.  Hopefully, more of South Carolina's many "ladies" will join us in making a difference in the politics of our great state.

Rep. Joan Brady (R) Richland County is serving her third term in the SC House of Representatives.  Rep. Brady chairs the Labor, Commerce and Industry Insurance sub-committee; Chairs the SC General Assembly Women's Caucus and Chairs the SC Republican Legislative Women's Caucus.  She is a majority WHIP; a member of the House Ethics Committee; a member of the House Rules Committee; and a member of the Committee to appoint University and College Trustees.  She was appointed to the newly formed Joint Legislative and Citizens Commission on Children. Nationally, Rep. Brady serves on the National Foundation of Women Legislators as Recording Secretary; Women in Government - State Director; and the Council of State Governments, Executive Committee and Task Force Co-Chair. To learn more, visit: www.scstatehouse.net