Women Who Rule

What does it take for a woman to succeed in politics? Despite the progress made in the last century, there are still few women leaders. Together we can change that. To become the leaders of tomorrow, we must learn from the leaders of today.

Women who rule often have much in common: Commitment, passion, courage and confidence. Discover what motivates them and how they overcame the barriers they faced.

Women in the U.S. House of Representatives
Throughout the history of the United States House of Representatives, there have been 214 women serving in that body. In 1917 Jeanette Rankin, a Republican from Montana, became the first woman in the Unites States Congress upon being elected to the House. Read more.

Women in the U.S. Senate
As of the 2006 elections, there are 16 women (an all-time high) serving in the 100-person body, including freshmen Senators Claire McCaskill and Amy Klobuchar. The Senatorial representation of three states (California, Washington and Maine) is entirely female. California's current two senators (Boxer and Feinstein) are the first two women to be elected to the U.S. Senate in the same election (in 1992) from the same state. Six of the women currently serving as Senators have also been elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives—a distinction once held by only Margaret Chase Smith—Mikulski, Snowe, Boxer, Lincoln, Stabenow, and Cantwell. Read more.

Women of Color in Congress
Since Representative Patsy Mink of Hawaii won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1964, a total of 36 women of color have served in the U.S. Congress. Roughly three-quarters (28) of these women were elected after 1990. A total of 35 have served in the House; Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois served in the U.S. Senate (1993–1999). The first African-American woman to serve in Congress, Shirley Chisholm of New York, won election in 1968; 24 African-American women have followed her. Read more.