Women still face disparity among NH politicians
Gender gap narrows but still exists across state government
Gender gap narrows but still exists across state government
Gender gap narrows but still exists across state government
Both New Hampshire's U.S. senators and one of its two U.S. representatives are women, but there is a gender gap among politicians in the Granite State at the state level.
When Phyllis Katsakiores was elected as a Republican to represent Derry in the early 1980s, there was no mistaking which gender dominated the State House.
"It was primarily men. Men took over everything," she said. "But things change, honey."
Jennifer Frizzell, of the New Hampshire Women's Foundation, has studied trends in municipal and state elections in New Hampshire.
"It's a response, I think, for voters to the frustration and the difficulty they feel with a partisan and toxic political environment," she said.
Frizzell noted that in 2011, 99 -- or just more than 23% -- of the Granite State's 400 elected state representatives were women. In 2019, the number of elected women grew to 135, more than 34%.
"Leading up to the 2018 election was really the second time in 20 years that we'd seen such an influx of women at all levels," she said.
Frizzell said voters now identify candidates differently. She believes, historically, female candidates felt the need to downplay issues of gender or family to win an office overwhelmingly dominated by men. Now, those stories are seen as a strength at the polls.
"Instead, they have experience on issues and problem-solving in their community, and they tend to be more pragmatic about the experiences that have led them to want to use government to better public policy," she said.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has been instrumental in the political landscape shifting.
"When I first ran for governor, there was only one other woman governor in the country," Shaheen said.
Today, three-fourths of New Hampshire's congressional delegation are women. Nationally, more women are running for office, but just 25% of the U.S. Senate and less than one-fourth of the U.S. House membership are women.
"At the rate we're electing women, it will be 100 years before we reach parity," Shaheen said. "I think that's way too long."
According to the U.S. Census, more than 50% of New Hampshire's population is women. In order to field a State House that's reflective of the population, Frizell said, women have to believe they are worthy of being elected.
"If you want more women in the Legislature -- like 80% of voters do -- then ask the women that you know to step up," she said.
Katsakiores implored more women to seek a publicly elected position, if only for the simple satisfaction of answering the call of someone in need.
"And to be able to connect them up with the right people and get them settled, that's the biggest joy in the world," she said. "What more could you ask for?"
The New Hampshire Women's Foundation has a program to educate and encourage women to run for public office called "Women Run." It provides resources to help women campaign at all levels of government, from local school boards to the state Legislature.