If what Beyonce says is true, and girls really do run the world, then why are women still in the minority in the House, the Senate, and the U.S. Supreme Court, and why have we never had a woman president?
Perhaps more of us need to play “Run the World” by Beyonce on repeat and do the work of getting women elected.
What does it take to empower a woman to run for office? Ask her to do it! Tell her what you see in her. Ask women you agree with to run. And ask women you don’t agree with to run. The way to get women into office is to help them envision themselves in the job.
In 2014, my grad school professor asked our cohort, “Who has ever considered running for office?” I was shocked that even one person raised their hand, let alone several. Then she asked, “Who has actually run for office?” Two women raised their hands. “Which of you won your races?” One of those women kept her hand raised. The professor then asked, “For those of you who have never considered it, why not?” My professor planted the seed—she asked.
That classroom conversation made me realize that I also needed to start asking the women in my life this question.
I decided to walk the talk. On a beautiful July day, a group of five women, myself included, were kayaking. Our conversation meandered through topics—husbands, kids, jobs, and finally, it ended with some frustration about local politics and funding decisions for our local schools. I decided to ask, “Have any of you thought about running for office?” There were several quick nos. Then I asked, “What women in our community should we encourage to run?” The names came slowly, and then the last friend who hadn’t answered said, “You know, I have actually thought about it!” Echoes of “You should do it!” and “Just go for it!” quickly encouraged our friend.
As Midwesterners, we know that harvesting involves a lot more than planting a seed. To empower women to run for office, they need to feel connected and supported. You have to build a network with them, and you have to help them do the work.
When I ran for office in 2022, the women I met in grad school became cherished mentors. They expanded their network to include me. They encouraged me and showed me the way to expand my network and empower other women. The women I kayaked with were also so important to me when I ran for office.
Recently, I had the honor of bringing a friend and candidate to a Women Winning luncheon. I introduced my friend to my grad school cohort members, bringing the practice of network-building full circle. My friend was astounded by the number of women in the room who were A) elected officials, B) running for office and C) showing up as a powerful network of supporters.
So let’s do this. Empower women. Ask them to run. Help them build a network. Then, lock hands with them and help them do the work. There it is. Three simple (but not easy) steps to manifest Beyonce’s proclamation: “Who run the world? GIRLS!”
