Session #7:  Executive Office

Executive office remains the hardest glass ceiling for women to breach. Not only has a woman never been a nominee for president for either major U.S. political party, but only six governors are women and just 12% of mayors. Female candidates must prove they are tough enough to command armed forces or law enforcement—a question rarely asked of male candidates—while also not being labeled the b-word. So how do women overcome this? Increasingly, they run as women: unafraid to sometimes show a little emotion and playing up their empathy and consensus building skills. With every candidacy, win or lose, voters are being trained to judge women candidates on their own merits, not just on how they measure up to the male ideal. We will look at how we can accelerate this change and what will it mean for policy in our states and at the national level.