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Here’s a surprise: Idaho actually has more women legislators than the national average. Even though just 25 percent of Idaho’s legislative seats are held by women - eight of 35 in the Senate and 18 of 70 in the House - the figure’s even lower nationally, with women comprising just 23.5 percent of state legislators nationwide. That’s according to a 2007 study conducted by the Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, for the National Foundation for Women Legislators.
The subject comes up because today, when the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee held its budget hearing on the Idaho Women’s Commission, which some lawmakers want to eliminate, Director Kitty Kunz said the Legislature and state leadership are a clear example of how Idaho’s women haven’t reached equity. The same 2007 study shows that Idaho lags behind other states in the number of women holding statewide elected office. Just one of the seven elected state offices is held by a female, state Controller Donna Jones, or 14 percent. Nationally, 24 percent of statewide elected offices are held by women. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.
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stebbijo on February 11 at 3:34 p.m.
This is ridiculous. Broadsword and fellow cohorts should be cutting the Idaho Forest Commission. But no, they pick on some little guy like the Women’s Commission, so they can claim they are streamlining the budget by cutting out resources for women. Some folks are making way too much money and it’s not the Women’s Commission. What a load of blind-sided toe tapping pecker poles with a case of ‘bias’ rot!
Sparky on February 11 at 4:40 p.m.
Though Broadsword’s delusional belief that we have reached equality set me off. I have done research, talked to women, and organizations that offer similar services. This organization is a referral program and with the growth of the internet, I believe it has become obsolete. Until Broadsword brought it to my attention, I had no idea of its existence. I asked a wide group of women there awareness of this group and they had never heard of it. I volunteer with several organizations that work at a local effort to protect, help, and support women. They offer the same referral system and women without internet access can walk into their doors.
Equality is not here yet in Idaho but this commission no longer functions in moving this agenda forward.
stebbijo on February 11 at 4:58 p.m.
Sparky, I respectfully disagree.
it does function through it’s representation of women and the literature they provide. It’s not much, but it’s something. I believe it needs more money, so they could be more effective. The Idaho State Bar is a referral agency as well, maybe we should axe them? God knows, they are worthless. Maybe we should get rid of The Commission on Domestic Violence? They don’t do nothing but refer. How about the lottery commission? They are supposed to get a raise.
The growth of the internet has given the Women’s Commission presence - finally. This is not the commission to eliminate. The lack of education that it even exists, is one of many reasons it needs to be retained, or merged into the Human Rights Commission.