Joan Spring, left, a facilitator at the “Running and Winning” workshop held at Monmouth Regional High School on April 17, listens as former Freeholder Amy Mallet speaks to a group of high school students. The annual event brings together women serving in local, county and state government with female students to encourage interest in running for office. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR A group of local women in government is working with high school students to close the gender gap in governing bodies at the local, state and federal levels.
“When you look at local governing bodies or even the state or federal legislatures, there are far too few women represented in office,” said Marian Wattenbarger, co-chair of “Running and Winning,” an event that brings together women in public service and female high school students.
The students learned that while women represent 51.2 percent of the population of New Jersey, they hold only 30 percent of positions in local government and the state Legislature.
“This is what we call a gender gap. … Our goal is to show that women do have a voice and play very important roles in our government,” said Jacquie Rice, a member of the Junior League of Monmouth County, an event sponsor.
As part of the ninth annual “Running and Winning” forum, more than a dozen women in government gathered at Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls April 17 to talk to female students about becoming active in government and to encourage them to consider entering public service.
Officials at the event included Rumson Councilwoman Laura Atwell, Red Bank councilwomen Kathy Horgan and Laura Schwabenbauer, Fair Haven Councilwoman Aimee Humphreys, Middletown Mayor Stephanie Murray and Monmouth County Administrator Teri O’Connor.
“These are incredible women who have stepped up to say they would take on tasks in the public interest because they are interested in public policy. … And they participate in that process in a variety of ways,” Wattenbarger said.
In addition to the Junior League of Monmouth County, event sponsors included the League of Women Voters, AAUW Northern Monmouth Branch and the Red Bank Chapter of Hadassah.
Sixty students at schools throughout the county met with the local officials to learn why they ran for office, what their work entails and why they might be interested in a career in government.
“Civic life or public life is about our life together in community. It’s where we make decisions together about the laws or the rules that will govern us,” Wattenbarger said.
During the daylong event, students had the opportunity to meet in small groups with three women in government.
Students also participated in a mock “campaign” on a school-related issue that is important to them, such as school start times or testing. “We always hope that the outcome of this day is that these girls will find their voice … that they’ll speak up in their school communities and also be pursuing leadership when they are in the larger community,” Wattenbarger said.
O’Connor said, “Out of 21 counties in New Jersey, I am the only woman administrator, and I go to these meetings and I am like, ‘Where are the girls?’ So, I really do want to help these girls.”
Red Bank’s Schwabenbauer said the nation is just now beginning to see more women in government.
“I think one of the most important things, and certainly one of the things that I have learned in my working life, is that you just have to do stuff. … If you see something that needs to be done, don’t be afraid to just step in and do it,” she said.
According to Wattenbarger, several changes have been made since the program was initiated by co-chair Barbara Goldstein in 2007. “The biggest change in the format is that in the beginning, what each group considered was a piece of national legislation,” she said.
“The challenge there was that while it was an opportunity to talk about a big piece of legislation, they were all working on the same information.”
Wattenbarger said feedback from students and teachers brought about the change.
“What we found last year is that in letting them choose the topic related to life in high school, we got a wider variety of presentations … and we have set it up in a way where every girl has a speaking role.”
For the presentations, students speak to a “school board” about something they would like to see changed or a new policy they would like to see implemented.
“It’s different in that they’re not a candidate, but they are speaking to a policymaking group that people get elected to,” Wattenbarger said. An update to the program is the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter instead of creating campaign posters.
As part of their presentation, students develop a tweet to gather support for their campaign proposal.
“Twitter is a more applicable medium for them to do something with. … The goal of the tweets is to get more members in the community to support and be there when they make their presentation.”
Wattenbarger said the program has had an impact on students who have participated.
“We have had some wonderful interaction with young women … and we’ve certainly gotten feedback where many girls will say that they never thought about this and now they’re considering running for office one day,” she said. “ … But they wouldn’t have if no one ever raised the awareness, and I think this program makes a big difference.”