CITY HALL. The political adage about Pennsylvania described as “Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between” is no more apparent than when it comes to female elected officials.
On the anniversary of President Obama nominating Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court – and with Elena Kagan waiting in the wings to become the third female Justice – both the city, and certainly the state, have a long way to go in terms of gender equality, advocates said.
Of the commonwealth’s 253 legislators, only 37 are female, or 14.3 percent, ranking 44th in the nation. Out of the 37, nine are from Philadelphia, or roughly a quarter. And the state has never had a female governor. Meanwhile, seven of City Council’s 17 members are female.
“We need more role models,” said Kelly Green, president of the League of Women Voters in Philadelphia. “We need more conversation, more training, more money. It obviously is a tremendous expense in terms of running for office.”
Green also noted that women interested in political office often have to juggle a career and motherhood.
Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, who has called for hearings into gender equality on boards, is hopeful that local trends will shift with the national picture.
“Philadelphia is doing a little better in terms of political representation with [Council] President [Anna] Verna and Majority Leader [Marian] Tasco. That’s a signal that with a track record and when given a chance women can do. They just need an opportunity.”
