IGNITE

IGNITE Alumni Network: Advance Women’s Political Leadership

Model and Strategy

Women’s health and safety require policy champions to protect those rights. Research shows elected women drive bi-partisan agendas that support women’s rights, but hold only 22% of the 500,000 offices across the US. Political parity at all levels of government will drive positive policy changes, yet trend analysis suggests that without a focused intervention parity will take 100+ years. IGNITE is shifting that trajectory by building a movement of women who are ready and eager to become the next generation of political leaders. IGNITE trains young women to run for office, connects them with elected women who help them realize political ambitions, and educates them about gender-specific policies. Since 2010 IGNITE has trained 7,500 young women but has no formal Alumni Network to continually advance their political careers. Building an IGNITE Alumni Network will speed up the likelihood and rate at which women hold office.

Impact

The US does not have nearly enough women in office to protect and advance policies that promote gender equity. For instance, mayors, city councils, school boards and state assembly members determine policies around sex education and funding priorities around women’s heath and safety. At the federal level legislators determine whether to fund women’s health care or domestic violence programs. Imagine if women were half of all legislators? The nature and tenor of these debates would dramatically shift (or cease altogether).

IGNITE believes the barriers to women’s political leadership are best overcome during the young adult years, when career aspirations are still in formation. They inspire young women to see political leadership as a possibility, bolstering their sense of personal qualifications, and provide networks, role models, and opportunities. IGNITE teaches young women to analyze polices that impact the livelihood of their communities, then trains them to run for office so they can lead change around those policies. Programs connect future leaders to policymakers and legislators who nurture ambitions and provide opportunities to drive social change and launch political careers. The end result: a network of politically ambitious young women who are fierce advocates for the policies they want to see in their communities and who are ready to run for positions to legislate on behalf of those communities. An Alumni Network will accelerate the success of IGNITE’s work, by providing longitudinal training and connectivity for young women as they move from school to career.

Leadership

  • Dr. Anne

    Dr. Anne Moses

    Founder & President