The Nation - News from Nov. 16, 1988
Women made up 15.8% of the elected representatives in state legislatures and 5% of those in Congress this year, with their presence increasing at a “snail’s pace,” according to a report released by a nonprofit research group. The report, issued by the Women’s Research and Education Institute, said that representation was particularly small for minority women. Only 8% of the 1,176 women state lawmakers were black and 1% Latino. The report said that in 1983, women made up 13.3% of state elected officeholders and 4% of the members of Congress. “The bad news,” said institute research director Sara E. Rix, is that women continue to be under-represented. “The good news is that women are increasingly running for political office so we can change the system and effect a feminization of policy.”
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.