United States of America

When Washington lawmakers assembled a few weeks ago to announce a deal on a state operating budget, something was noticeably absent: women.

Announcing the long-awaited bargain were 11 men — Gov. Jay Inslee, the leaders of the four political caucuses of the Legislature and the top budget negotiators.

What made it even more striking was that just a year ago, the governor and the Senate leader were women, while three years ago the House majority leader and lead budget writers were as well.

Conservatives refuse to give up their fight to pass legislation that affects women’s health, bodies, and civil rights, and after an election year when women of color turned out in force for Democrats, electing more of them to state offices.

Hillary Rodham Clinton mused aloud about the significance of America electing its first female president. Left unsaid: whether she might try again to be the one.

The guest instructor in a Philadelphia University classroom got right to the point: You can do what you're thinking of doing, and you can make a difference. Just be prepared for the brutality.

"It is a dirty business, there is no doubt," Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane said. "It is distasteful. They call you every name in the book. They try and put you down as much as they possibly can - and sometimes that's your own party, just to get you out of the race so their buddy can run."

In 2012, the number of women serving in the U.S. Senate reached a historic high: 20 out of 100. And so we continue to debate about the low representation of women in political office, and the debate continues to hinge on the differences between men and women.

(CNN) -- Early in Dara's career, she was told by a coach that "honey attracts more bees than vinegar," so she took pains to rein in her natural candor and soften her opinions. But when she started her present job as vice president at a national retailer, her boss told her she was too nice. "Where's the balance?" Dara muses. "Do they want me to be harder or softer? With men or with women? With my superiors or my subordinates? It's tricky to figure out."

"When women participate in the economy everybody benefits. This should be a no-brainer," Clinton said in remarks at the Clinton Global Initiative America event in Chicago.