Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn:Young Women In Politics

From left to right: Tracy Osawe (UPLJ Senior Blog Editor), Kamalika Vora (2nd place winner), Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn and Saanvi Kulkarni (1st place winner).

By: Saanvi Kulkarni and Tracy Osawe (Ed.)

March 28, 2024

On March 27, Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn (NJ 25th Legislative District) spoke to a packed audience at FDU. Assemblywoman Dunn talked about her years in service and roles and responsibilities in the legislature. Assemblywoman Dunn also talked about the challenges she faced during her career and the importance of public service. Lastly, Assemblywoman Dunn stressed the importance of the youth vote and urged the FDU students to go to the ballots!

At this event, the winners of the inaugural UPLJ Women’s History Month Essay Contest were announced. The high school essay contest was open to NJ high school students (grades 9-12). The UPLJ was truly impressed by the quality of all the submissions it received. Saanvi Kulkarni, a sophomore at Livingston High School, won first place. Kamalika Vora, also a sophomore at Livingston High School, received second place. Saanvi presented her essay in front of the students and Assemblywoman Dunn at the event.

Please see the following for a transcript of the essay that Saanvi presented at FDU.

Throughout the course of United States history, the role of women in politics has constantly shifted. First, as a change from the total exclusion of colonial America, some wealthier white women made their voices heard through writing and by getting more involved in the public sphere of American life. Then women’s suffrage started being discussed at the Seneca Falls Convention, and women such as Victoria Woodhull ran for office as early as 1872 despite not yet having voting rights. Suffrage was finally legally achieved in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment and universal suffrage for all races of women was written into law through the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Although women have more representation in politics now than ever before, greater opportunity and access need to be provided through a multipronged approach to further increase their role in government.

The problem of women’s underrepresentation is very complex and as such, it has many facets that need to be addressed. One simple form of representation is voting. Most citizens of age in the United States are encouraged to vote regardless of gender, which is why voting is one area in which women are actually represented more than men. In every presidential election since 1980, a higher proportion of women have voted than men, proving that women do have political interest. However, in terms of running for positions of political power, women are disproportionately uninvolved. The largest amount of women serving in the Senate at one time occurred in 2021, and they made up only 26%. For the House of Representatives, the greatest amount was in 2023 with women sitting in 28.5% of the seats. Although these numbers have been getting a little larger each year, they are still very low considering that women make up half of the population.

This phenomenon contributes more to the problem. If young women do not see people like them in politics, they don’t believe that it is a viable option for them to go into. Speaking from personal experience, I remember always being painfully aware, even as a younger child, of the fact that we have had 46 presidents, and not a single one has been female. I only started becoming more interested in politics once I started learning about and being introduced to powerful women in politics, specifically Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Mikie Sherrill. Girls have to be encouraged at younger ages to get politically involved or at least learn about it, and a major factor in this is the presence of role models. A grassroots approach should be utilized in public schools, educating kids on what politics is and how they can get involved while showcasing the diversity of political leadership in this country. This program would be non-partisan, with leaders from both parties being involved. Another method, to be implemented in tandem, would be specific internship programs with women politicians created for girls. It would also double as a mentorship, allowing youth to connect with their politician and learn more about the political process from an insider’s perspective. Another contributor to the underrepresentation of women in politics is the issue of obstacles for women attempting to work in politics. In a lot of American households, the burden of childcare typically falls on the mother, especially right after birth. The problems that face women with a career in politics are similar to those faced by most mothers who work, except exacerbated to a certain degree. Childcare issues are always difficult to manage, but it becomes even more of a challenge when a mother has extremely long working hours and is often campaigning at events rather than staying home5. If a woman becomes pregnant, her ability to campaign is hindered, especially if she then goes on maternity leave. The people elect a candidate to office and they expect to be represented by that candidate, not an appointed replacement. Policies need to change in order to accommodate these issues, whether it is regarding accessibility for candidates during a campaign where they are pregnant or mandating paternal leave in order for a politician to be able to stay at work after having a child.

The main commonality between all the solutions mentioned up until this point is that they require widespread societal change. Social norms, as they exist in today’s society, are not conducive to female politicians being prevalent. But social norms can be altered, just as they were during the 19th and 20th centuries to allow women to even vote. A specifically targeted media campaign over the course of a few years could change society’s perspective. Just like “Women in STEM” has become a popular concept, “Women in Politics” can become a revolutionary movement as well. Through increased opportunity and access, women should be able to be equally represented in public affairs.

The UPLJ would like to give a special thank you to FDU Professors Francesca Degiuli and Bruce Peabody for being a part of the Essay Contest review board. Please be advised that Professor Dr. Degiuli is now offering a Gender Minor at FDU. You may contact her at degiuli@fdu.edu.