Closing the ambition gap by training young women to run for office

There is talk about an ambition gap between men and women running for political office. New research by the Brookings Institute says "politics is still a man's game." Women today are as unlikely as they were 20 years ago to express interest in running for office. In Massachusetts, a growing list of women is leaving the state legislature. Women now account for 30.5 percent of legislators there, down from 32 percent. 

Thank God for Generation Z women born after 1996. They're more ambitious than ever and are closing the ambition gap as I type. They're the first generation engaged more in politics than their male counterparts. Let's get it, girls!

So, what's up with all this "ambition gap" chat? Well. The Brookings research tracks the intentions of 4,000 "potential candidates." They're people with professional backgrounds common amongst elected officials. Among that sample, women were much less likely to report having thought about running. Back in 2001, 59% of those men had considered running for office and 43% of women. The gender gap was the same in 2011. And it's the same in 2021. If anything, it has grown a little. The problem with the research is its outdated idea of "potential candidates". 

We need to reconsider what a potential candidate looks like. We need to see young women as capable of running for and winning political office. I mean younger than ever. I mean 16 is not too early to consider running for President someday. I run the country's largest and most diverse organization for Gen Z political women. The good news is that a full 63% of our alumni are considering running for office. 

The key is to train young women early on these issues. We need to get them to change the perception gap about what qualifies them for political office. The numbers show training works, too. Young women who emerge from our programs understand how government works. They understand how to analyze public policy. They have the political knowledge they need to be active citizens. They feel it's easy for them to speak about the issues that matter to their community. The numbers are remarkable. On average, 20% of Gen Z women say these things are true before they train with us. On average, about 80% of Gen Z women say they're true afterward. 

Why are young women the key to our political future? Consider the issues at stake in modern political life. Women are more likely to work across the aisle to pass policies. They show more spirit of collaboration. Women get more policy written and passed than men do. And if we want gender parity in elected office, we need women to run on both sides. It is women and candidates of color who are leading Republican efforts to flip the House. In 2022, there are more Republican women running for office than ever before. 

Young people who get involved with IGNITE care about a specific issue. They come to us because of things they see showing up in their communities. They don't care so much about partisan issues. They are more likely to think for themselves. Whenever I read about the "ambition gap" I'm already over it. The Gen Z women showing up in our organization fill me with hope and ambition for our country's future. I can't wait for you to meet them.