Statistics Indicate Female Incumbents and Chiefs of Staff on the Hill have Hit the Glass Ceiling

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2009
 
Statistics Indicate Female Incumbents and Chiefs of Staff on the Hill have Hit the Glass Ceiling

Three Years of Stagnant Statistics Indicate Female Incumbents and Chiefs of Staff on the Hill have Hit the Glass Ceiling

Washington, D.C. – WCF celebrates its fifth-annual tradition of honoring women Chiefs at “Hail to the Chiefs of Staff 2009” today. This year’s program is held at the historic Sewell-Belmont House and Museum.

• In the past three years there has been no significant increase in the percentage of House Members with a female Chief of Staff: Less than one-third of House Members’ Chiefs of Staff are women.

• Of the female House incumbents, there has been an increase in those employing female Chiefs of Staff.  In 2007, about thirty-five percent of all female House Members employed a female Chief of Staff.  Today, about forty-six percent of female House Members employ a female Chief of Staff.

• In every year over the past three years, of the over-three-hundred male incumbents in the House, only about one-third has employed a female Chief of Staff.

• In every year over the past three years less than twenty percent of the House is or has been made up of women.

• For the past three years the number of female House incumbents has stayed below 100 while the number of male House incumbents has stayed well above 300.

• In the past three years, the percent of male Senators employing a female Chief of Staff has dropped almost five percent: less than twenty percent of male Senators currently employ a female Chief of Staff.

• In the past three years, the percent of Senators’ Chiefs of Staff who are women has actually decreased.

Hail to the Chiefs allows WCF to shine the spotlight on the critical role played by our female Chiefs in supporting our leading members of Congress.

In 2009, having women in power like Hillary Clinton, Janet Napolitano, Valerie Jarrett, Hilda Solis, and Kathleen Sebelius shouldn’t be groundbreaking—but it is.  Though women remain the constituent majority in the past three years, amongst incumbents and Chiefs of Staff on the Hill, women remain a minority. 

WCF wants to change these numbers, and thanks to the leadership of the incredible women chiefs of staff on the Hill, we can, and we will.

Program details:

WCF's 5th Annual Hail to the Chiefs
Honoring thirty-seven women Chiefs of Staff

Thursday, September 10, 2009
VIP Reception 5:30pm
Reception 6:00pm, Program Begins 6:30pm

 Presenting the First Annual "WCF Jan Lipsen Award"
For outstanding service on the Hill
to Jan Lipsen, a woman pioneer leader on the Hill

and

The First Annual "WCF Shattered Glass Award"
For outstanding contributions in helping elect women in this nation
to Rick Diegel, former IBEW Political Director & WCF Board Member

Contact: Erin Cutraro, 202-393-8164

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