SARAH’S JOURNAL: PRIMARY POWER!
From Sarah Chamberlain, W2W founder
Women have had the right to vote in America for a little over 100 years. And for most of these years, the percentage of women voting has only increased. Until now. As I recently wrote in USA Today, the percentage of women voting in recent state and national elections has actually been going down. And, not gonna to lie, that keeps me up at night.
I can see it in my own friend group. So many women are so exasperated by the endless dysfunction and bile they see in government that they’ve started to just tune it out. And this generation of younger women has yet to truly flex its voting muscles. With everything we have to do as women today, finding time to educate ourselves and vote has fallen off the table for many of us. But it can’t. We can’t let it. When fewer people vote, more extreme candidates win. When fewer women vote, more destructive candidates win. The math is clear. The American experiment is frustrating, vexing, even soul-crushing at times. But we have to keep at it. We have to make it better. Together, we can.
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The Journal Archive
SARAH’S JOURNAL: IS THIS A GOOD TIME TO BE ALIVE?
From Sarah Chamberlain, W2W founder
I was reading this week about the difference between the negative trends that social media and sensationalist news amplify, and actual wider historical trends. Yes, we do have existential threats in our politics and our environment, but in many ways, the world has been steadily improving. In 1800, 44% of children born in the U.S. died before their fifth birthday. Only 10% of the world’s population could read and write. Before 1893, no country in the world allowed for universal women’s suffrage. And even with the advent of climate change-related forest fires, average smoke particles in the air in the U.S. have actually decreased by over half since 1970. I’m not saying everything is great. All I’m saying is that sometimes it pays to keep a little perspective.
SARAH’S JOURNAL: CONGRESS STARTS ANEW
From Sarah Chamberlain, W2W founder
In my work in Washington, the first week of a new Congress is unlike any other time. It feels more like the first week of college, with new faces showing up from everywhere, and the inevitable freshmen getting lost in the halls. What people don’t see is that each new Member must hire a complete staff, and then get up to speed on the entire legislative process, from the basics of House rules to the more intricate workings of the Congressional budget. They'll be attending orientations, meeting with their assigned committees, and getting to know their colleagues in the House. I try to meet and interact with as many new Members as I can, to stress the importance of seeking out and listening to women not just in their districts but from across the country. I will be briefing them on the results of our regular Women2Women issue polls, so please continue to respond to these and encourage other women to do the same.
SARAH’S JOURNAL: WHO SPEAKS FOR US?
From Sarah Chamberlain, W2W founder
For most of the year, I have been traveling the country talking to women and elevating their concerns to lawmakers in their states and in Washington DC. There is so much work to be done. In many areas, the extremes of both parties have hijacked the conversation, and seem only interested in stirring up fear and recrimination. This leaves most of us—who are struggling to work and parent sanely and productively—without a voice.
But I’ve also seen a resilience and even a glimmer of optimism among the women I talk to. Faced with pandemics and economic turmoil and every sort of uncertainty, they are out there getting it done every day, at work, at school, and at home. Women are truly the backbones of our communities. If we stick together and demand that Washington listen to our needs, we’ll get there. Hang in.