As students file into the Student Union ballroom for the Elect Her! Campus Women Win event, excitement radiates off each of them. The event, part of a national campaign, is designed for students like these: women who have the desire to enter the political sphere but may need an extra push to step into the spotlight.
Through encouraging participation in undergraduate student government, the Elect Her! campaign seeks to facilitate those ‘first steps.’
“This program is all about finding your place and voice in the UConn community when there are so many voices to be heard about such a variety of issues,” said Nisha Wali, program assistant at the UConn Women’s Center. “The reason that women aren’t involved in politics is often because they just aren’t being asked to take part. It is my hope that this program will in effect ‘ask’ and encourage these women to step up and make their voices heard in their community.”
Elect Her! aims to plant the seed for women to be politically involved in the future. Connecticut’s Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, the keynote speaker for the event, emphasized the importance of women starting to climb the political ladder at the earliest possible age. She noted that women, unlike men, usually wait to be ‘asked’ to run for political positions.
Merrill said that although running for office may seem daunting at first, when taken step by step the process is very do-able. The Elect Her! workshop provided attendees with a packet of materials designed to make running for undergraduate positions as easy as possible.
The workshop was geared towards women, but it was open to anyone who wanted to participate. Freshman Reece Adamson was enthusiastic about the opportunity to see the political process from another point of view. “I feel very passionate about many political issues,” he said, “and I believe it is essential that everyone have a voice in their government.”
Another speaker, Bridgette Behling, manager of the American Association of University Women, said that women tend to look out for each other, regardless of political affiliation, when it comes to key issues affecting women, and it is essential for this reason that more women voice their opinions.
Encouraging women to be involved and engaged in university politics will set the groundwork for their future political involvement, Behling said, and ensure that all voices are heard in government at both local and national levels. Women have a say in our governmental policies, she added, and it is essential that they express their opinions loud and clear.
