Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics

The recent attention to women in leadership positions including elected office is fascinating. According to researchers, Jane Perdue and Dr. Anne Perschel, "women's relationship with power is complex - a rich and robust interplay of psychological, cognitive and cultural factors." According to the research, "women's relationship with personal power holds them back, be it lack of confidence, cultural conditioning or simply not understanding power."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday she wanted to see a female US president during her lifetime -- but insisted she was ready to "get off the high wire" of top-level politics. "I think we have to keep trying till [the] final glass ceiling be broken," she said.

Movie star Geena Davis, who played the first female U.S. president on the 2005-06 television series "Commander in Chief," urged 750 presidents of multi-million dollar companies Thursday afternoon to make Atlanta the jumping-off point for electing more female politicians. "If women are added at the current rate, we will achieve parity in 500 years. I say that’s too slow," she deadpanned to appreciative laughter at the during the New York-based Women Presidents Organization’s annual ...

Amid high heels hung from the ceiling in decoration, the night awarded two successful women. But the one who walked away with the most may have been sitting at a corner table, watching it all.

Former Republican Congresswoman Connie Morella and Maryland Secretary of Aging Gloria Lawlah are trying to get more women elected into public office by promoting a new program called The 2012 Project. Add link here in the text - the2012project.us

Since the 1990s, the number of South Carolina women in the Legislature has never topped 22, according to the Center for American Women in Politics. South Carolina is particularly interesting because the state has a woman governor yet very few women elected officials... this year, however, the center and the Southeastern Institute of Women in Politics say research shows that women may have a better chance of getting elected.

We're always working to encourage more women to run for office, offering training to those who are running, and informing the public about campaigns...but we don't spend enough time thanking and encouraging the women who are currently elected to office. We'd like to take this opportunity to say "Thank You!" to all women who serve as elected or appointed officials and encourage them to keep "Fighting the Good Fight."

Nationwide, women’s groups point out the glaring gender disparity in public life, noting that there are only 6 female governors and 17 female senators. Across the country, women make up 23.6 percent of state legislatures, according to Off the Sidelines, a project started last year by Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York. But in Washington State, women’s serving in public office has been as consistent as the rain.

Idaho politics have traditionally been dominated by males, but women are increasingly breaking through to join that club. Reps. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, and Donna Pence, D-Gooding, daily enter a room where they are two of 20 women in the 70-member Idaho House of Representatives. Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, is one of nine women in the 35-member Senate.

The number of Americans getting married may be declining, but for one demographic, nuptials are increasing: rich women. In her new book “The Richer Sex: How the New Majority of Female Breadwinners Is Transforming Sex, Love and Family,” author Liza Mundy draws attention to a reverse in traditional gender roles as more men “marry up” to be with women who are more educated, better paid, or in more high-profile careers than them.

Here's the fantasy: A half-naked woman lies across a couch, lips pouty and cleavage prominent as her sultry gaze implores you to buy this bottle of perfume. The reality: Women make up 51% of the United States yet only 17% of seats in the House of Representatives. They're 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 7% of directors in the top 250 grossing films. What's the connection? We live in a sexualized society where the gap between fantasy and reality is vast and harmful.

Women of Distinction pays tribute to women who exemplify excellence in service, leadership, community, visibility, and professionalism. The five women who will be honored this year are Carolyn Cason Matthews, Patricia Moore-Pastides, Kay Thigpen, JoAnn M. Turnquist, and Genevieve N. Waller.

Congress's approval ratings may be in the basement, but civility and bipartisanship among its female members is as strong as ever. Margaret Carlson on how the Senate's women do it.

A recent article in the Post and Courier outlines the key to reaching goals for women aiming to succeed in business: overcoming societal obstacles. This piece examines pertinent female business leaders and offers advice that is applicable to both the corporate world and the political sphere.

There are few stereotypes in society today that lend themselves to comic impression better than the female politician. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler proved this time and time again as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton during the 2008 election cycle. Back in 2011, Kristen Wiig picked up the torch with an outstanding rendition of Rep. Michele Bachmann.

There's more than just being a woman that attracts people to women candidates. Voters, especially disenchanted voters, want women as they represent a refreshing change from what they see in public office today. Dr. Beverly Forbers, an author and professor known for her pioneering work in the area of women as transformational leaders, says American voters are looking for the style of leadership most commonly found in women

Mexico's conservative ruling party has picked a former education secretary as its nominee for the nation's top job. If she wins, she will become Mexico's first female president.

The biggest winners in last weekend's S.C. Republican Primary may have been Leslie Gaines and Ruth Sherlock. Prior to last Saturday, Gaines and Sherlock had spent the better part of their time at their fledgling political consulting company running themselves ragged – fundraising for this candidate, marketing for that one, scheduling for a third. "We decided to hit reset," Gaines said, co-owner of the Greenville-based Sherlock & Gaines Consulting Group.

File for office by March 30th at 5 pm

There are some things going in the next two weeks that might help address [the] deficit [of women in politics in SC] in the short and long term. Do the state a favor. Invite a woman to go see the documentary "Miss Representation" at the College of Charleston and then invite that same woman to register for the Southeastern Institute for Women in politics' online training course.

In the immediate wake of the state's GOP presidential primary, the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics (the Institute), in conjunction with our partners Blue Cross Blue Shield South Carolina (BCBSSC) and IT-oLogy, is announcing an exciting and innovative plan geared at encouraging and educating women to run for elected office in the Palmetto State.

If you are considering running for office, consider this: You can have a great impact on young women. What do you want your daughter, niece, or grand-daughter to see when she looks at you? Check out the findings of this new study on Women in leadership roles and the impact it can have on young women.

Many female politicians overplay or underplay their femininity in order to get on in a male-dominated world. Writer Helen Lewis-Hasteley finds that Elizabeth Warren, would-be senator and Wall Street watchdog, refreshingly does neither. Instead, she looks and sounds like exactly what she is - a 62-year-old grandmother from Oklahoma, with the patient tones of a teacher and an expression of perpetual mild concern.

It seems like only yesterday that Sarah Palin stepped into a pair of red, Naughty Monkey peep-toe pumps and blew up every assumption about the Republican Party and women. With a briefing book in her hands, a baby on her hip, and a party enamored with her, Palin created the impression in 2008 that the GOP was not only willing, but eager, to elect a women to the highest, or at least second-highest, office in the land.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is setting up a community aid foundation, the Original Six, to help put the state's poorest counties back on track. Haley has hired Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics Board member Wendy Homeyer as the executive director. The foundation derives its name from her family - her parents and siblings are the original six. She remembers her parents filling shopping carts with groceries for charities when she was growing up. There's a distinction, she notes, ...