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"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."

“It's our duty to not only show up ourselves, but to look around and see who's not in the room, especially at the local level and go find those individuals and invite them, and encourage them to bring their experiences,” said Erin Loos Cutraro, founder and CEO of candidate incubator She Should Run.

She Should Run surveyed women across the country between the ages of 18-64 years of age and discovered that 60% of women aren't even considering a run for office in the future. 81% were interested in learning more about public office including the duties, responsibilities, salary, and education requirements.

In addition to research and reporting, ReflectUS Coalition member She Should Run has been advocating for disabled women in a number of ways. In particular, they have been working to ensure campaigns are accessible to disabled community members. They have partnered with National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) to further this work.

Since 2016, women of all ages and backgrounds have become more politically involved, but advocates say structural barriers persist. Erin Loos Cutraro, Founder and CEO of She Should Run, sheds light on how her organization is promoting leadership and encouraging women to run and serve in office.