In the News

We don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we do have a responsibility to show up for ourselves and each other, especially when things feel uncertain. The days, weeks and months ahead will be spent listening to the needs of our community in order to serve women from all walks of life whose voices are desperately needed in all levels of elected office. All of us must be prepared for the work to change drastically. How could it not?

She Should Run, a nonprofit working to increase the number of women running for office, reported a 743% increase in women looking to get involved or run for office post-election.

On this week's 51%, we speak with Erin Loos Cutraro, founder and CEO of the nonprofit She Should Run, about why Kamala Harris' loss should not discourage women from running for office.

“They’re coming to us because somebody has said to them [that] they should think about running for office. And they have then said to themselves, ‘I have no idea where I would start,’” she told The Examiner. “And we have to make a case, in this increasingly toxic and polarized environment, why would somebody even think about running for office?”

"Women are hit with this reality they can often seem likable or they can seem qualified, it's challenging for women to be overwhelmingly seen as both," Cutraro said. "Sometimes in the proving of qualifications they become less likeable."

She Should Run, conducted research about what might motivate more women to seek office. The group found that it was not enough to simply encourage women to run in order to close the gender gap.

Organizations say there's often a delay between deciding to seek office and running a successful campaign.

A new study shows that nearly a quarter of women are interested in seeking elected office and are motivated by several issues.

While women make up 51% of the voting public, they only hold about 30% of elected offices. She Should Run has an eye on encouraging women across the nation to run for office in order to even-up that divide with qualified, dynamic female candidates and office-holders.

And according to a survey from nonprofit She Should Run, your encouragement matters.

A free virtual workshop will be available to women in Fort Smith starting this week. According to a press release, the national nonpartisan nonprofit She Should Run announced today that its new, two-part virtual series, “Power In Purpose” will kick off on Thursday, July 14, and conclude on Thursday, July 28, 2022.

An op-ed from She Should Run Founder and CEO, Erin Loos Cutraro. "It’s a tragedy that so many American women are shut out of playing a role in our democracy, particularly those from underrepresented communities including Black, Latina, AAPI, Native American, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities. However, I’m betting that headlines about overturning women’s bodily autonomy will be the breaking point that will ignite the momentum we need to bring about real change."