What We Do
Representation2020 works to raise awareness of the under-representation of women in elected office, to strengthen coalitions supportive of measures to increase women's representation, and to highlight the often overlooked structural barriers to achieving gender parity in American elections. This work is designed to complement the important work being done to: reject gender stereotypes that suggest that men are more effective leaders than women; recruit, train and fund women candidates; and encourage more women to run for high-profile offices.
Representation2020 focuses on three structural reforms that we believe will increase women's electoral success. They include: new recruitment practices that ensure political parties and 'gatekeepers' recruit and nominate more women candidates; fair representation voting plans with multi-member districts to increase the likelihood of women running for office and being elected; and improved legislative practices that ensure the day-to-day operation of the legislature or city council is not biased against women serving in office.
Representation2020 staff are working with a growing network of allies to build a coordinated, effective, and strategic movement to achieve gender parity while we are still alive to benefit from it!
Join us in our efforts to break down the structural barriers that women face in elected office by taking our Gender Parity Steps (GPS) in your community!
Representation2020 focuses on three structural reforms that we believe will increase women's electoral success. They include: new recruitment practices that ensure political parties and 'gatekeepers' recruit and nominate more women candidates; fair representation voting plans with multi-member districts to increase the likelihood of women running for office and being elected; and improved legislative practices that ensure the day-to-day operation of the legislature or city council is not biased against women serving in office.
Representation2020 staff are working with a growing network of allies to build a coordinated, effective, and strategic movement to achieve gender parity while we are still alive to benefit from it!
Join us in our efforts to break down the structural barriers that women face in elected office by taking our Gender Parity Steps (GPS) in your community!
Who We Are
Representation2020 is a project of FairVote, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, focused on structural changes to make elections more participatory and representative at every level of government.
The upcoming centennial of women's suffrage in 2020 inspired FairVote staff to design a project to deepen the conversation about the unmet challenge of representative democracy in America by exploring structural solutions to the under representation of women.
Staff and interns worked together to release our second annual report on the State of Women's Representation in 2015, created our Gender Parity Index to measure progress toward parity in the states, and worked to expand our Leadership Circle and group of Partners for Parity who share the goal of gender parity for women in elected office.
The upcoming centennial of women's suffrage in 2020 inspired FairVote staff to design a project to deepen the conversation about the unmet challenge of representative democracy in America by exploring structural solutions to the under representation of women.
Staff and interns worked together to release our second annual report on the State of Women's Representation in 2015, created our Gender Parity Index to measure progress toward parity in the states, and worked to expand our Leadership Circle and group of Partners for Parity who share the goal of gender parity for women in elected office.