Wilson to address lack of women in government

Submitted

Even though the country just elected its first female vice president, women remain underrepresented in American government, according to researcher Laura Merrifield Wilson.

Wilson

Wilson, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis, will examine the reasons in her talk, “Have We Come a Long Way, Baby?” at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7 live via Zoom. This event is presented by the League of Women Voters of Hamilton County and the Westfield Washington Public Library.

The presentation will include historical views as well as current statistics to explore the lack of women in government at the national and local level. For example, she will examine why Indiana is one of only five states in the nation never to elect a female governor or senator.

At UIndy, Wilson specializes in research on gender politics, campaigns and elections, and state government. She also is a regular panelist on local media outlets’ public affairs programs.

The presentation is part of the statewide Women’s Suffrage Movement Centennial, a program from Indiana Humanities that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the amendment that granted the vote to women. It is funded by the Lilly Endowment and Hillenbrand, Inc.

The talk is free and open to the public, but viewers must first register with Eventbrite. They will receive Zoom instructions via email.

Questions? Contact the League of Women Voters of Hamilton County at lwvhc@gmail.com. Learn more at lwvhcin.org or follow the group’s Facebook page.