Rafaela: Sometimes, all it takes is a little encouragement. A woman I know ran for student body president two years ago. She received almost no encouragement or support during the campaign, and she finished fourth out of four candidates. She dreaded telling her brother that she came in last place, expecting him to call her a loser. However, she was pleasantly surprised when he told her how proud he was that she had run. He said that she would be a great president, and encouraged her to learn from the experience and to run again. The next day, she started planning her campaign, and the following spring she won the election.

Today, she is our student body president. Hopefully, you'll follow her example by running for or encouraging the women in your life to run for office. We will focus on three topics. First, why it is important for women to run for office. Second, why women are less likely to run than men. And finally, how all of us can take steps to reduce this imbalance. Let's begin by considering how women are underrepresented. Despite recent successes, women remain less likely to run for office.

NPR political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben noted in "A Record Number of Women Will Serve in Congress" on November 7th, 2018, that in the 2018 election, the number of women in Congress reached 23%-- a new high, but far from parity. As Mary Jordan, National Political Correspondent noted in The Washington Post on November 8th, 2018. Even with the gains, women were still underrepresented. The United States trails behind many other countries, including Mexico and Britain, in the legislative representation of women. The situation is the same at the state and local level.

Saskia Brechenmacher of the Carnegie Endowment reported in "Tackling Women's Underrepresentation in US Politics," February 2018, that women remained underrepresented at the federal, state, and local levels. The current uptick in women running for office, while encouraging, is unlikely to close this gender gap. Women's equal participation in public office is essential. One reason is equity. Women represent over 50% of the population, and it is only fair for women to have the same level of representation.

Republican Representative Diane Black of Tennessee in "Representation Matters, Women of the US Congress 2017," provides a second reason. Noting that women look at issues differently than men do, and that's just the way we are. We come at things in a different way, and since 52% of the population is female, it behooves us to make sure that we have a voice-- a woman's voice in the discussions. Amanda Ripley, contributing writer to the Atlantic and Senior Fellow at the Emerson Collective, offered another reason in Political, June 12th, 2017.

Writing that, "to be blunt, women may actually be better at politics, especially that kind Americans say they want to see more often." Women are more likely to say they entered politics because of a specific policy concern, whereas men are more likely to say they're looking to fulfill a lifelong dream. In addition, women are also more likely to sponsor bills, and when they're in the minority party, women tend to keep their proposals alive longer partially by reaching across the aisle Finally, when women are elected to office, they serve as role models.

One of the students I interviewed while researching for the speech was inspired by Khemarey Khoeun, the first Cambodian American elected to public office. Saskura Ten a VOA reporter, shared Khemarey's on Voice America News, May 9th, 2017. Noting that she and her family had escaped the brutal Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia, and came to Chicago from a refugee camp in Thailand. That traumatic experience has made Cambodian Americans less likely to participate in politics, but Khemarey is determined to help Cambodians see that there is little risk in taking an active role in their new home.

Now that we have seen why it is important to increase women's representation in public office, let's turn our attention to some of the reasons why representation is lower. One cause is a lack of encouragement. When interviewing our class, I discovered that women are rarely encouraged to run by any office-- by friends, family members, or teachers. However, about half of the men were encouraged to run for office while in school and after graduation. Our class members experiences were consistent with research from professors Jennifer Lawless, American University, and Richard Fox, Loyola Marymount In "Girls Just Want to Not Run," March 2013.

Who found that the effects of encouragement to run for office are substantial. 66% of women who received any encouragement to run for office reported interest in a future candidacy compared to 21% who never received encouragement to run. The second cause is lower rates of participation and experiences that build political skills. In "Why Our Student Council Presidents are Women, But Our Politicians Are Not," August 24th 2017, Sidney Nelson, George Washington University executive Vice President, provides the example of debate. Noting that in college student government, when you're representing a proposal, you're debating it and you're trying to get votes for it by lobbying and advocating for what you want.

In high school, it's more of a collaborative effort. Professors Lawless and Fox previously cited, discuss another example-- sports. They state that even though sports participation might seem somewhat removed from political ambition, the competitiveness associated with sports appears to serve as a significant predictor of interest in running for office. Lawless and Fox go on to note that women who played sports were approximately 25% more likely than those who did not to express political ambition. For example, Associate Editor Cody Hooks reported in the Taos News, December 3rd 2018, that Deb Holland, one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress, runs marathons.

A third cause is lack of confidence, despite their considerable abilities. Although Stephanie Johnson, Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership at the University of Colorado noted in "Why Don't Women Run For Office," October 31 2018, that women's college graduation rates exceed men's, and that women are more likely to study in fields that provide great skill sets for political offices and leaderships, such as law, business, and management, women tend to rate themselves as less effective leaders.

Although there are barriers to women's political participation now, you can all take an active role in changing that trend. Women in the audience, I'm talking to you. In your speeches, you've spoken with passion about many issues facing our community, the nation, and the world. I'm calling on you to use those voices to take a leadership role on campus and in the community. There are many classes and activities on campus that can help you get in touch with your political side, and gain helpful experience and skills.

Our political science department offers several options, including a course on women in politics, and an internship class where students can work in the office of local and state political leaders. In addition, both our debate and moot teams are open to any interest in student with no experience required. These activities give you a chance to learn how to advocate and respond to the arguments of others, and to match your skills against students from other colleges.

Another option is sports. Our college has women's club teams that are open to any interested student. You don't need to run marathons like representative Khoeun. Her cross-country team races are just five kilometers. But finally, when you're ready to run for office, our student government elections take place each year. Men in the class, I'm calling on you to provide support for women in your classes and in your lives to run for office. Your support can make a difference.

The previously cited study by professors Lawless and Fox found that although young women are less likely than young men ever to consider running for office, they're just as likely as men to respond positively to encouragement to run. When you hear a woman give a great speech in class or show leadership skills in a group, tell them they would make a good student body officer, a good city council member, or even a good president. And if you have sisters, don't forget to encourage them too. There are organizations that are ready to help you recruit.

For example, She Should Run is a non for profit organization that offers resources for women who are interested in running for office. There is also a link for you to recommend a promising candidate, and they'll offer their support. Today, we have looked at the importance of having women run for office. First, we took a look at how women are underrepresented in public office. Next, we consider three reasons why this is true-- encouragement, experience, and confidence. Finally, I appealed for women in this class to run for office, and for men to provide support.

Professors Lawless and Fox note that when women run for political office, they are just as likely as men to win their races. What it takes to get women to run is encouragement, and I'm calling on the women in this class to run, and for the men in this class to provide support. When I look at the students in this room I see future school board members, mayors, legislators, maybe even the first female president of the United States. Better yet, maybe the fourth or the fifth. Thank you.