The proportion of female elected representatives holding state and national offices in Rhode Island is one of the lowest in the country, according to the Women's Fund of Rhode Island, and Lieutenant Governor-elect Elizabeth Roberts '78 is the first woman elected to statewide office in more than a decade.
Men comprise 84 percent of the workforce of political institutions nationwide and Rhode Island is reflective of this disproportionate representation, said Jennifer Lawless, assistant professor of political science. Lawless unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., in the Sept. 12 primary election for the Dist. 2 U.S. House of Representatives seat.
According to an Aug. 31 Providence Journal article, Rhode Island is stands out as a state that has never elected a woman governor or U.S. senator.
The state has "the traditional set of political players - it's a bastion of patriarchy," Lawless said.
Because the political scene is so male-dominated, entering politics here is like "trying to break into an ol' boys club," Lawless said.
This "women-unfriendly" political arena may be one explanation for why so few women run for elected office not only in Rhode Island, but nationally, Lawless added.
Wendy Schiller, associate professor of political science, expressed a similar opinion. The Rhode Island political scene "is a corrupt place dominated by men," she said.
Both academics also cited the difficulty women face in balancing traditional, family-oriented roles with professional lives as a potential barrier to increased female participation.
Most politicians attain their first elected position between the ages of 25 to 40, which is the prime childbearing age for women, Schiller said. As a result, female politicians tend to be older.
The size of Rhode Island also constrains the political participation of women, according to Schiller, because in small states the incumbent has an even stronger advantage and the number of government positions to fill is more limited. As a result, both men and women have fewer opportunities to enter politics, Schiller said.
On Nov. 7, Lieutenant Governor-elect Elizabeth Roberts '78 became the first female lieutenant governor and the first woman elected to statewide office in Rhode Island in more than a decade when she defeated Republican candidate Reginald Centracchio.
"As a citizen and as an elected official, I think it's important to establish a government in which the population is closely represented," Roberts told The Herald.
According to Roberts, being a female politician in Rhode Island does have its advantages.
"Like any challenging career, it's tough to balance family and professional life - but it can be done," Roberts said. "In Rhode Island especially, it is geographically easy to campaign and tend to my family," she said.
Being a female candidate in Rhode Island increased her name recognition, Roberts said. "Like any distinguishing variable, being a woman increased my visibility and caught people's attention ... because unfortunately, we (female candidates) are still unusual," Roberts said.
Being a woman was especially advantageous during Roberts' campaign for state senate because it involved "going door to door and asking citizens about their concerns about the community," she said.
"I think it may have been easier for people to talk to me as a woman - they were more receptive," Roberts said.
Encouraging women to enter politicsAccording to Lawless, recruitment by national groups and other elected politicians is the easiest and most effective strategy to increase female participation in Rhode Island government.
"Social networks would help to propel women into political positions," Lawless said.
Elected officials and political groups should prepare women to enter politics in high school, recruiting "early and often," Lawless said, because women are "opting out of the political pipeline at a young age."
"A fringe benefit (to running against Langevin) was inspiring more and more women to get involved and engaged," Lawless said of her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.
"One of my goals in office is to encourage women to get involved in politics," Roberts agreed.
