Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Research and Policy Brief

Volume

54

Publisher

Utah Women & Leadership Project

Publication Date

2-15-2024

First Page

1

Last Page

6

Abstract

Although Utah has a rich heritage of women’s involvement in voting, advocacy, and various types of political participation, for decades Utah has lagged the nation in terms of women running for and serving in elected political roles. The Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) began reporting on the status of women in Utah politics in 2014, with updates in 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, and now 2024. Although strides have been made to increase the number of women serving in political roles in the last decade, there is still work to do. Research continues to confirm that when both men and women serve together in communities, counties, and states, all residents are better served and are more likely to thrive.1 Overall, while Utah women have continuously gained elected seats since 2014, Utah still ranks last in WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality”2 (with four of 17 key indicators being focused on political empowerment) and 45th of 50 states on the Represent Women’s “2023 Gender Parity Index” (a D grade),3 which measures women’s political representation.

This report updates the research and policy brief titled “The Status of Women in Utah Politics: A 2023 Update” and provides both Utah and national data for the following seven areas: Congress, statewide executive offices, state legislatures, counties, mayors, city councils, and boards of education. The brief concludes with a summary of findings and a brief discussion of the importance of encouraging and supporting women who run for public office.

Download

Included in

Business Commons

Share

COinS