Beyond the march: U.S. Rep. Karen Bass among elected officials to share advice at Mount Saint Mary's campaign training designed to prepare more women to run for office

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Women make up half of California’s population. They do not, however, have an equitable share of political representation in the state. According to data reported in Mount Saint Mary’s University’s 2018 Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California™, women account for 22 percent of the state legislature, 26 percent of county supervisors and 31 percent of city council members. Nationally, women fill only 19 percent of seats in the U.S. Congress.

U.S. Rep. Karen Bass speaks about the need for more women to run, and serve, in elected office. On Saturday, April 28, Bass served as the opening keynote at Ready to Run, a nonpartisan campaign training program presented by the Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles.

On Saturday, April 28, about 150 emerging women leaders gathered with a mindset to change those statistics. The women were participating in Ready to Run®, a nonpartisan campaign training for women, presented by the Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s, a women’s university in Los Angeles.

U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, who served as the event’s opening keynote, said she’s proud that more women have gotten involved in politics over the past year. “Too often, women have had to be pushed and encouraged to run. I don’t think that’s going to be true anymore. I think we’re going to change that part of our American culture, and I think that from now on…women are going to step forward in equal numbers to men.”

That’s important, said State Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, because “what makes it beneficial to have more women in office is our approach to leadership. It’s the how we do it, not what we do. Our inclusiveness, our ability to check ego compared to our male counterparts, our selflessness.”

“We are thrilled to have so many women here today who are ready to step forward and serve,” said Emerald Archer, PhD, director of the Center for the Advancement of Women. “Leadership development is a primary part of our Center’s work. We need leaders who will help us achieve our bold goal of identifying, and eradicating, gender inequities in our lifetime.”

The Ready to Run training featured public servants, campaign strategists and communications experts who shared their expertise in workshops designed to prepare women to run for office, position themselves for appointed positions and work on campaigns. Sessions included how to get launch a campaign, fundraise effectively, secure endorsements and conquer the media.