Women gain ground politically
Although a recently released study indicates political ambition among women lags behind men, women continue to make strides toward gender parity in the political realm, which is evident, even at the local level, as women earned nominations to a handful of elected offices in Tuesday’s primary.
Before the primary, in Fayette County, four of the 14 county offices were held by women. Nina Capuzzi-Frankhouser secured the nomination for prothonotary, and Nancy Wilson bested several other candidates for treasurer, shifting the numbers slightly further toward gender parity. Women earned seats in several municipal offices as well.
A report, titled “Girls Just Wanna Not Run: The Gender Gap in Young Americans’ Political Ambition,” was published in March by researchers at American University in Washington, D.C. Having surveyed more than 2,100 college students between the ages of 18 and 25, researchers determined women are less likely than men to even consider running for office. In general, women receive less encouragement to seek public office, are less competitive about winning and lack the level of confidence men reportedly carry, according to studies.
Women and men both aspire to work to improve the world around them, according to the study, but women are much less likely than men to see political leadership as a means to that end. The men surveyed were nearly twice as likely as women to see running for elected office as the best way to bring about change. Women tended to believe working for charities was the best way to affect change, the study noted.
The disparity in political ambition plays out in the gender gap among elected officials. According to data gathered by the Pennsylvania Center for Women in Politics at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, about 18 percent of the state’s General Assembly consists of women. Pennsylvania has only one female federal congressional representative. The state has yet to elect a female governor.
Locally, two legislative districts are represented by women. Rep. Deberah Kula (D-North Union Township) represents the the 52nd district in Fayette County, and Rep. Pam Snyder (D-Jefferson) represents the 50th district in Greene County.
Snyder said she decided to seek an elected position after years of being politically active, as a county employee and a congressional staffer. When Congressman Frank Mascara left office, she said she was unemployed and at a crossroads, and that’s when she decided to run for office the first time, for commissioner in Greene County.
“I thought maybe it was time for me to step up to be the candidate instead of the person behind the candidate,” Snyder said.
Growing up, her family was always politically active, Snyder said, an important element in political ambition for young people, according to the American University study. Snyder said her parents instilled in her the message that she should strive to give back to her community. She said she got her first real taste of what politics was all about when she worked at a young age on her uncle’s campaign for sheriff of Greene County. She said once the political bug hit her, it didn’t let go.
For many years, Snyder said she thinks society expected to see men in elected positions, but we’re becoming a society that sees gender balance as important. She said she brings some of the same qualities to her job that helped her as a wife and mother — she seeks to nurture the development of her district and care for its health and safety, for example.
Snyder said she would advise young women who are interested in politics, “You have to go into it with your eyes wide open. You’ve got to have a thick skin, and you can’t take things personally.”
In the state’s judiciary, women are slightly better represented than in other elected offices, according to the data provided by Chatham. As of May 2012, 25 percent of the state’s Common Pleas Court judges and 24 percent of magisterial district judges are women.
On Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Linda Cordaro secured both Republican and Democratic nods for a seat on the Fayette County bench, the second woman to be elected to that position in the county. The dual nods virtually assure her election in November.
Cordaro said she hopes women are gaining a more equalized representation on the bench. She said it’s extremely important for women to seek elected office. “Just by our nature and our experiences, we bring a different perspective, we relate differently,” she said. “A better balance is important.”
In 2010, sitting Judge Nancy D. Vernon was sworn in as the first female Common Pleas Court judge in the county.
Vernon said she grew up in a time when gender roles were defined in the manner of television families like “Father Knows Best,” “with women adorned in shirtwaist dresses preparing dinner for the husband to come home.” Women became more active in the public sphere as economic conditions forced them to seek work outside the home.
Vernon said when she joined the public defender’s office in 1980, she was the only female trial lawyer. She had been one of 10 female students at law school and was aware she was entering a male-dominated field.
“My parents never spoke of gender, and I really never paid much attention to it,” Vernon said. “I always felt in practicing law that one must zealously represent clients, be not afraid to go to court, try cases and win.”
Vernon said she thinks gender balance is less important than electing the right people. “Hard work and results always trump gender,” she said.
Vernon encouraged other women to follow their dreams with focus and hard work, and added, “Timing is everything.”
“I didn’t break the glass ceiling, it was the voters of Fayette County” who put their faith in her and elected her, based on her record in the courtroom. She said she was fortunate to be the woman who was in the right place at the right time, and she will forever be grateful.