Civic Conversations Welcomes Dr. Laura Merrifield Wilson on Women in the Legislature

Joining us for January 2023 is Dr. Laura Merrifield Wilson. Dr. Wilson is the co-director of the Gender Center and Associate Professor of History and Political Science for the University of Indianapolis. She was also recently named one of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Forty Under Forty. In this podcast, Dr. Wilson talks about the increasing number of women in the legislature in Indiana and nationally. In the podcast, she shares that political ladders and hierarchies are now changing.

Once the experience in government of a candidate was an essential attribute for potential candidates. Today, it is no longer a driving force in how politicians are elected. As a result, we see more younger candidates, particularly women running for office. In addition, where politicians were once expected to climb the ladder through local, state, and national politics, an expectation that foreclosed candidacy for many women because of gender barriers has changed. Currently, approximately 28% of women are in the US Congress, even though about 51% of women make up the US population.