Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Research and Policy Brief

Volume

60

Publisher

Utah Women & Leadership Project

Publication Date

9-5-2024

First Page

1

Last Page

6

Abstract

Organizations increasingly thrive when both men and women hold leadership roles and work together. This is true not only in Utah’s businesses, but also its government organizations, such as state legislatures, city councils, and state and local bureaucracies.1

American democracy is based on the concept of representation.2 Governments mirror this idea by encouraging agencies to employ a workforce that shares the demographic characteristics of the community it serves.3 In fact, the presence of a diverse public workforce “implies equal access to government positions promoting empowerment and connection with government in diverse communities, [and] can also signal the inclusion of group interests, attitudes, and experiences in government decision making and build government legitimacy.”4 This is true at all levels of government in Utah, including the municipal, county, and state levels.

Yet, research has shown that Utah’s socially conservative culture reinforces gender-based expectations and that those expectations play out in the experiences of Utah’s women leaders.5 Utah is one of the nation’s most religiously homogenous states,6 and while less than half (42.0%) of Utahns identify as active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,7 the tenets and culture of the faith greatly influence Utahns’ daily lives. Further, gender-based role expectations are not confined to the religious or personal spheres; instead, they permeate Utah’s culture and influence the career experiences of the entire state’s workforce. Yet, amidst the strong influence of traditional cultural norms and expectations, there has been slight progress in terms of gender parity on some fronts and sectors in the state (see previous research briefs and snapshots). Acknowledging this context sets the stage for exploring how gender-based expectations may impact women in Utah government.

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