LWV HOSTS PROGRAM FOR FEMALES IN PUBLIC OFFICE

The League of Women Voters Westchester recently hosted its annual Running and Winning workshop at Reid Castle at Manhattanville College. Titled Running and Winning the workshop is  unique and inspirational with the purpose to inspire and encourage young women to run for political office. Forty-five female* elected officials from throughout Westchester met with 50 female high school students from the Westchester County. In addition to supporting the students”™ aspirations to serve in public office and develop their leadership potential, another purpose is to help our government institutions increase gender parity. 

The young women who participated were selected by their school administrators and faculty. The program agenda included both learning from elected officials”™ experiences and practical application. 

After breakfast and a welcome by Kathy Meany, president of LWVW, the students and elected officials heard brief remarks from several elected officials from different levels of government who spoke of their journey to elected office. Following inspirational messages from the elected officials, students participated in three rounds of casual interviews with various elected officials who rotated throughout the room. After the morning sessions, the students worked on mock campaigns and conveyed that the collective mental health of women/girls in their generation has been influenced by many factors, including pandemic isolation, frequent school shootings and challenges to a woman”™s right to choose. Some groups also shared their support for an Immigrant Center, citing their own experiences as first- or second-generation immigrants and the need to support and value immigrants in our communities. 

Running and Winning 2023 was sponsored by the League of Women Voters Education Fund, the Westchester Community Foundation, the Westchester Library System, the Westchester Black Women”™s Political Caucus, The Business Council of Westchester, Manhattanville College, and the American Association of University Women.