2008 Woodie Awards
A woman's place is in politics
Matt Snyders - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 9/15/06 Section: Metro
- Page 1 of 1
A woman's place is in the House - and in the Senate, as Bella Abzug once said.
With such sentiments in mind, the Women's Public Leadership program kicked off its 2006-07 session with a panel discussion titled "Why Politics? Why Me?" Thursday evening in the Old Capitol Senate Chambers.
Sponsored by the Women's Resource & Action Center, the four-member panel featured women in distinguished leadership positions - Assistant Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness, Iowa City City Councilor Dee Vanderhoef, Iowa Green Party secretary Holly Hart, and state Rep. Swati Dandekar, D-Marion.
"We really wanted to take the opportunity to reach out to women who many not have thought about getting into politics," said Jessica Hook, the event's coordinator and panel moderator. "Hopefully, this will inspire them to get involved."
While describing the path that led her to politics, Lyness highlighted her activism during her undergraduate years at the UI, during which she campaigned for the passage of the Iowa Equal Rights Amendment in 1980.
Lyness - who is running unopposed for Johnson County attorney this fall - expressed hope that her involvement in politics will encourage young women to run for office.
She also tried to discourage politically minded females from falling victim to self-doubt.
"As women, I think we tend to discount our experiences and discount our abilities," she said.
Dandekar, the first Indian-born American citizen to win a state-legislature election in the United States, offered similar words of encouragement.
"Young ladies: If you have passion, or you have knowledge, and you are dedicated to helping your community, you can be a great leader," she said.
Those in attendance were receptive to the women's stories and advice.
"I'm interested in getting into politics, hopefully, in the future," said Iowa City West senior Caitlin Leehey. "It's interesting to see how they went about achieving their goals and attaining their positions."
City Councilor Dee Vanderhoef said expectations were different for young women in small Iowa towns during the 1950s.
"It was a time when girls thought they'd be old maids if they didn't have a diamond ring on their finger by the time they were seniors in high school," said Vanderhoef, who received her bachelor's in nursing from the UI.
Hart used the forum to push the Green Party's agenda.
"I'm involved with the Greens because I believe there is a role third parties play, especially at the local level," she said, adding that less-mainstream parties can also be effective in exerting pressure on Democrats and Republicans.
The next event from the Women's Public Leadership program will begin at 9 a.m. on Oct. 28. The workshop - "So You Want to Run for Public Office?" - will be held in C232 Pomerantz Center.
E-mail DI reporter Matt Snyders at:
matthew-snyders@uiowa.edu
With such sentiments in mind, the Women's Public Leadership program kicked off its 2006-07 session with a panel discussion titled "Why Politics? Why Me?" Thursday evening in the Old Capitol Senate Chambers.
Sponsored by the Women's Resource & Action Center, the four-member panel featured women in distinguished leadership positions - Assistant Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness, Iowa City City Councilor Dee Vanderhoef, Iowa Green Party secretary Holly Hart, and state Rep. Swati Dandekar, D-Marion.
"We really wanted to take the opportunity to reach out to women who many not have thought about getting into politics," said Jessica Hook, the event's coordinator and panel moderator. "Hopefully, this will inspire them to get involved."
While describing the path that led her to politics, Lyness highlighted her activism during her undergraduate years at the UI, during which she campaigned for the passage of the Iowa Equal Rights Amendment in 1980.
Lyness - who is running unopposed for Johnson County attorney this fall - expressed hope that her involvement in politics will encourage young women to run for office.
She also tried to discourage politically minded females from falling victim to self-doubt.
"As women, I think we tend to discount our experiences and discount our abilities," she said.
Dandekar, the first Indian-born American citizen to win a state-legislature election in the United States, offered similar words of encouragement.
"Young ladies: If you have passion, or you have knowledge, and you are dedicated to helping your community, you can be a great leader," she said.
Those in attendance were receptive to the women's stories and advice.
"I'm interested in getting into politics, hopefully, in the future," said Iowa City West senior Caitlin Leehey. "It's interesting to see how they went about achieving their goals and attaining their positions."
City Councilor Dee Vanderhoef said expectations were different for young women in small Iowa towns during the 1950s.
"It was a time when girls thought they'd be old maids if they didn't have a diamond ring on their finger by the time they were seniors in high school," said Vanderhoef, who received her bachelor's in nursing from the UI.
Hart used the forum to push the Green Party's agenda.
"I'm involved with the Greens because I believe there is a role third parties play, especially at the local level," she said, adding that less-mainstream parties can also be effective in exerting pressure on Democrats and Republicans.
The next event from the Women's Public Leadership program will begin at 9 a.m. on Oct. 28. The workshop - "So You Want to Run for Public Office?" - will be held in C232 Pomerantz Center.
E-mail DI reporter Matt Snyders at:
matthew-snyders@uiowa.edu
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