Why Emerge Massachusetts

Eighty-seventh in the world: that's where the United States ranks for women in elected office, behind Mexico, China and Pakistan.  In fact, women make up just 16% of the U.S. Congress.

In fact, Massachusetts has only elected a total of four women to the U.S. House of Representatives and has never elected a woman to the U.S. Senate. Only 24% of our State Legislators are women and the 2011 State Legislature has the lowest number of women serving since 1998.

Too often, women do not see themselves running for office - they don't think they are experienced enough or they just don't know where to start.

Emerge Massachusetts is changing that!

Emerge Massachusetts in a national context

Emerge Massachusetts is part of a national movement to address the under-representation of women in elected office at the local, state, and federal level. Although the network is only eight years old, there are Emerge affiliates in nine states: Arizona, California, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Click here to find out more about Emerge America.