Cook: Group Wants More Women In Politics

A new non-partisan organization created to help women get more involved in Arkansas politics and public policy is gaining momentum. Women Lead Arkansas was founded earlier this year to encourage women to run for office regardless of political party and to help guide them into other leadership positions.

I spoke recently with Stephanie Harris, founder of Women Lead Arkansas, about her growing non-partisan organization. Harris in an attorney and the Communications Director for the Arkansas State Supreme Court. In her spare time, Harris has been putting this organization together with a bipartisan advisory board.

The group’s first major event is a campaign training seminar on Saturday, November 16 in Little Rock. The campaign training is for women only with classes taught by Democratic and Republican campaign experts.

What is the purpose of the organization?

“The purpose is to encourage and train women and girls throughout Arkansas to get involved in politics, policy and leadership. We are not adequately represented in private or public leadership roles. We are entitled to a seat at the table so that we can share responsibility in policy-making decisions that affect us, our families, and the economic health of the state. I only started really paying attention a couple of years ago. Once I did, I realized how out-of-balance it is. So I look at this as an awareness campaign.”

Harris noted that while women are 51% of Arkansas’s population, there are only 23 women legislators in the 135-member State Legislature. Harris also did an informal survey of Arkansas’s mayors and city managers and found that only 13% are women.

What does your organization hope to accomplish?

“Accomplishments will include getting women to realize waiting for someone to ask them to run may never happen so they should make the decision themselves. They need to believe they are qualified to run for office or to serve on state boards and commissions. Women are less inclined to take risks, but if they want to be involved in shaping the state’s future, they are going to have to step out there. And they’re going to have to be willing to fail, because that is always a possibility. But so is winning.”

What can you tell us about the November 16th training?

“The campaign training is for women only, and it is very nuts and bolts. It is designed not to teach them all they need to know, but to give them a good picture of what to think about before they run and provide basic guidance once they have decided to run.”

Harris also noted the organization wants to encourage and train women from both major political parties to run for office and to seek leadership positions.

“We don’t support candidates; we support the fact that women are candidates and will provide resources to women who ask. Another accomplishment will be to create a statewide network of women who support each other; who will do political training; work with girls on leadership skills; and generally work toward making Arkansas stronger, with our help.”

Women Lead Arkansas holds its first campaign training seminar on November 16 in Little Rock. The location is being finalized this month.

Contact them at [email protected] to get more details or like them on Facebook to get regular updates.