Join American University’s Women & Politics Institute and the Women in Public Service Project for the presentation of Lucina Di Meco's global research on the relationship between women political leaders and traditional and social media in a rapidly changing landscape.

Followed by a panel discussion with women scholars, strategists and media execs on how women political leaders can leverage the power of media to drive change.

Paper Presentation:
Lucina Di Meco, Global Fellow Wilson Center, Director of Girls Education, Room to Read
 
Panelists:
Christine Matthews, President, Bellwether Research and Consulting 
Crystal Patterson, Global Civics Partnership Manager, Facebook
Jenna Golden, President, Golden Strategies, Former Head of Political Sales at Twitter
Rebecca Schuller, President, Winning for Women
 
Co-Moderators:
Gwen K Young, Managing Director Global Emergency Response Coalition; Distinguished Fellow, Global Women’s Leadership Initiative, Wilson Center; Visiting Fellow, George Washington University, Elliot School
Betsy Fischer Martin, Executive Director, Women and Politics Institute and Executive in Residence Department of Government

Register here

October 9, 2019

The Women & Politics Institute hosted a forum to discuss, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics,” a book that details the careers and friendships of four powerful African American women in the political world. Co-authors and renowned political strategists Donna Brazile, Minyon Moore, and Yolanda Caraway joined WPI Executive Director and moderator Betsy Fischer Martin as they explored the importance of urging women to run for public office, and examining the value of women surrounding themselves with other strong, like-minded women.

Central to their discussion, the panelists touched on the significance of adequate political representation, noting that the nation still has a long way to go until such a feat is achieved. Brazile - who frequently spoke of the need to elect more women to office - finalized her thoughts by imploring females in the audience to consider the onerous task of mounting a campaign. “Why you? Because there’s no one better. Why now? Because tomorrow’s not soon enough,” Brazile said passionately.

View event photos here.

October 3, 2019

The Women & Politics Institute and the School of Communication Journalism Division hosted an empowering book talk with co-authors and educators Kristin Grady Gilger and Julia Wallace. Their book, There’s No Crying In Newsrooms, captures the essence of what it’s like to navigate the world of journalism as a woman—from sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement to suppressing emotions and crying in bathrooms, the authors discussed the hardships of maneuvering through womanhood in a profession conventionally dominated by men.

Joined by Lisa Matthews of the Associated Press and Cory Haik of VICE, the panelists shared their unique stories of climbing to the top of their fields, underscoring the extent to which double-standards and hypocrisy often plague and disillusion female journalists at every juncture in their careers. As Betsy Fischer Martin moderated the talk, the women offered advice for aspiring young professionals who seek to subvert gender norms in the office.

When asked how she makes important decisions at the managerial level without appearing “bossy” to her subordinates, Matthews said, “I just do it with a smile.” 

September 18, 2019

As part of our shared Gender on the Ballot initiative, the Women & Politics Institute and the Barbara Lee Family Foundation co-hosted a panel discussion on campus to shed light on what the much-discussed concept of “electability” actually means to voters in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.

After presenting top-line findings from the poll, Nicole Fossier (Benenson Strategy Group) joined Amanda Hunter (Barbara Lee Family Foundation) and Li Zhou (Vox) in a panel discussion about what the electability discussion means for the women running for president. The panel was moderated by WPI Executive Director Betsy Fischer Martin.  

View more photos of the event here, and watch the livestream here. 

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