Study: NY government lacks women

While women make up 52.7 percent of New York's voting population, they hold just 17.8 percent of elected legislative and council seats in local county and city governments, according to a survey by the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership at the University.

The findings, reported in "Where are the Women? A Report on the Status of Women in New York's Local Governments, October 2002," also show that only one woman holds the post of county executive in New York. In addition, none of the five largest cities in the state has a woman mayor.

"There are many questions to ask about the low percentage of women elected to local office," says Nora Bredes, director of the Anthony Center and former Suffolk County legislator. "In local politics, issues like raising huge amounts of money, arranging for child care, or working in distant capitals may not be the hurdles they are when women run for higher office. If these practical concerns aren't the barriers to women's participation, what are they? Perhaps our deeply held attitudes about politics and the masculine, self-promoting behaviors we expect in politicians keep many women from imagining roles for themselves as elected leaders."

The study notes that even the five most populous counties in New York, with a slightly higher percentage of female representation, lag in comparison to Florida, where counties have similar roles and structures.

"This survey establishes a baseline for continued study of gender balance in New York's local governments," says Bredes. "The center will conduct future surveys to examine the rate of growth of women's participation in local elected offices."

The survey was prepared by Bredes with the help of Diana Brauner '03, who is studying political science at the University.

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