United States of America

The number of women in the Senate may have reached an all-time high, but that isn’t doing much to ignite interest in running for political office among the nation’s young women. New research from DC’s American University finds that college-age women are much less likely than their male counterparts to consider or have considered politics as a possible career path.

In the 90 years since Rebecca Felton of Georgia became the first woman in the United States Senate — sworn in for a mere 24 hours — women remain an anomaly in the upper chamber. But with 20 female senators now in office, an all-time high, women have morphed from the curiosity they were for much of the 20th century into an important new force on key committees and legislation.

For Covington’s first female mayor, one perk is serving as a role model to young girls in a state the Center for American Women and Politics ranks 38th in the nation for women in elective office. “(Young girls) need to build confidence at an early age and know their strengths, so they can make the most of every opportunity,” said Mayor Sherry Carran.

• U.S. Congress is made up of 18.1% women.
• Of the mayors of America’s 100 biggest cities, 12 are women.
• 5 of the country’s governors are women.
• 4.2% of Fortune 500 company CEOs are women.

(We invite our users to read the full article poublished March 8 2013 on by Infographics)

Dawn Clark Netsch was a political pathfinder for generations of Illinois women, the first to hold statewide office and the first nominated by a major party for governor.