Where are all the female chiefs of staff?

The recent findings of the Women’s Campaign Forum (WCF) indicate that the number of female Chiefs of Staff on the Hill
remains remarkably deficient.

The good news is that the percentage
of Congressional women Chiefs of Staff is double their representation in
Congress. The bad news is that neither one is close to 50 percent—with women
comprising only 17 percent of Congress and 35 percent of Chiefs of Staff.

There are many reasons why we need more women in leadership roles, such as
their decision-making skills and unique world views. But we also need more
women in power to ensure their march toward equality continues—as it seems that
women leaders have a greater tendency to hire and promote other women:

• In the past four years, the percentage of male House
  Members with a female Chief of Staff has remained below one-third.
  

• The number of female Representatives with a woman Chief
  of Staff has increased throughout the last four years, but still lingers
  below 50 percent.
  

• The percentage of male Senators employing a female
  Chief of Staff has actually decreased over the past four years, and is now
  estimated to be only 20 percent.

So if having more women in
leadership positions is an integral part of increasing gender equality,
especially on the Hill, then I have to ask: How will we ever get there when the
number of women in our government has also ceased to grow—and may actually decrease after November 2?

The answer is that gender equality
cannot be solely a priority for women’s organizations and activists.

Research continues to show the
benefits of having more diversity in decision-making processes, which affects
both men and women. The National Council for Research on Women reports that women consider
different issues and are more collaborative while making decisions, which leads
to more win-win outcomes. In fact, Ernst & Young declared last year that companies with more women in
senior management roles are more profitable.

Part of the answer also lies in the
importance of focusing on family issues. Specifically, women still seem to be
held back by the demands of children and family—especially in politics and on
the Hill. As Erika Lovley reported in POLITICO last week,

“…some staffers say the Hill, which often demands long hours
and low pay, is inhospitable to women, who often want to raise a family around
the age when they would be eligible for high-level positions.”

We’ve seen many Congresswomen and female public officials
successfully balance work and family in the last few years—however, it’s clear
that women still face a decision between career and motherhood. As a mother of three myself, I know it’s not easy to
drive a busy career and raise little ones. However, I also know all too well
how many barriers to success still exist for working mothers.

If there is one overarching lesson
to be learned here, let it be this: Our society has far too many wide-ranging
beliefs and policies that prohibit women’s advancement, especially in our
government. Whether it’s a comment about a woman’s hairstyle or a policy
restricting a mother’s ability to work and raise children—these
actions are extremely
damaging to advancing women’s leadership.

In fact, a new study to be revealed on September 23 from Lake Research Partners shows
that, specifically, sexist
attacks against women candidates by the media are detrimental to their campaigns.

So as WCF prepares to say Hail to the [women] Chiefs for the sixth year in a
row, I call upon all members of Congress to take a look at their staff members.
If half of them aren’t women, you have work to do. Everyone can benefit from
having more women’s voices at the table, and it is everyone’s responsibility to
destroy that titanium ceiling.

Siobhan Bennett is the President and
CEO of Women’s Campaign Forum.