Government Leadership by Gender

Progress has been made at all levels, but more is needed

Reviewed by Charles Potters

Government officials, especially those in the legislative branch, ultimately decide which programs get funded and prioritized. However, when it comes to equitable gender representation in key government roles, both at the federal and local levels, the situation is mixed.

On one hand, the progress women have made in public service is undeniable, highlighted by Kamala Harris’s historic inauguration as the first female vice president of the United States. On the other hand, women still make up a minority in critical federal positions and hold a limited number of governorships and mayoral offices. So while there has undoubtedly been progress, women’s rights advocates argue there’s still a long way to go.

The challenge is even more significant for individuals with nonbinary, gender-fluid, and other nontraditional gender identities. The Victory Institute reports only 1,185 LGBTQ individuals have been elected to office nationwide, a mere .23% of all U.S. elected officials. The 164.5% rise in LGBTQ elected officials since 2017 marks progress, but also highlights the long path still ahead for achieving widespread representation.

Key Takeaways

• The election of Kamala Harris as the nation’s first female vice president was a win for equality in the federal government, although advocates contend that true gender equity is still elusive. 
• Currently, women make up just over a quarter (28%) of seats in the U.S. Congress, the highest percentage in U.S. history. Their representation is higher within President Biden’s Cabinet.
• A record number of women have been elected as part of the House of Representatives and Senate for the 118th Congress of the United States.
• Transgender and nonbinary candidates have broken through at the state level; 238 LGBTQ+ candidates won elections in 2023.
• Women remain disproportionally represented in politics, and agencies have and can enact more policies to enhance equity and opportunity.

Gender in Federal Government Roles

Kamala Harris is perhaps the new face of female political leadership, thanks to becoming the first woman—not to mention a woman of color—to get elected on a presidential ticket. However, the presence of women in the executive branch has been significant for over three decades. 

President Joe Biden set a record by nominating 13 women to his Cabinet, the most female leaders in U.S. history, out of a total of 25 positions. During Donald Trump’s presidency, up to six women held Cabinet-level positions at one time, with a peak of eight women during Barack Obama’s second term. George W. Bush’s administration had four women serving concurrently during his first term and five during his second.

But it was Bill Clinton who really raised the bar in the 1990s when nine women served concurrently during his second term. By contrast, 14 of George H.W. Bush’s 17 Cabinet members were men. Ronald Reagan’s Cabinet had a similar composition in terms of gender.

Note

As of March 2024, 126 women are serving in the House of Representatives. In addition, 25 women hold seats in the Senate, tying the record.

Legislators

Women have also made major gains in Congress. The House of Representatives currently has its highest-ever percentage of female members—126 of the 435 total seats. The 118th Congress also includes 25 female senators, tying the record with the 116th Congress.

Compared to their meager representation just a few decades ago, women politicians have made striking strides. During the 1991–1993 Congress, for instance, the 100 members of the Senate included only four women. And, back then, there were just 28 women at the other end of the Capitol in the House. Today, there are 151 women members of the Senate and the House.

In addition, there is significant representation of race and ethnic diversity in the U.S. government. As of March 2024, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House was made up of women of the races or ethnicities in the table below. This data excludes U.S. Delegates as well as statewide elective executives.

Courts

The confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett in 2020 to fill the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the U.S. Supreme Court left female representation on the country’s highest bench unchanged. However, in 2021, Ketanji Brown Jackson was appointed to the Supreme Court following Stephen Breyer’s retirement. The court’s female justices—Barrett, Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor—now comprise four of the court’s nine members. 

That ratio is consistent with lower federal judgeships as well. Roughly a third of U.S. Court of Appeals judges, U.S. District Court judges, U.S. Magistrate judges, and U.S. Bankruptcy Court judges today are women, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. According to the Victory Institute, three gender-nonconforming judges serve at the state level and none at the federal level.

Note

In 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia became the first woman appointed to the U.S. Senate, although she only served one day.

State Leadership

While the number of women serving as the top executive of their state has increased over the past couple of decades, female representation is arguably lower at the state level than in the federal government. 

Though, at 12, the current number of female governors is near a record (there were nine in 2004 and 2007), they represent less than one-fifth of all gubernatorial positions in the country. In the nation’s history, only 49 women have ever served as governor of a state.

What’s more, today’s female governors tend to lead smaller states. Only Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Kathy C. Hochul of New York, both Democrat, head the executive branch of a state that cracks the top 10 in population.

Gender representation is a bit more equitable in other key roles in state government, although women still trail men by a wide margin. Currently, women comprise 2,428 of the 7,386 state legislators—32.9% of total seats—in the United States. However, the upward trajectory for female state representatives is undeniable, with their ranks growing more than fivefold since 1971.

While transgender individuals have yet to ascend to the top ranks of the federal government, they have achieved some success at the state level in recent years. In 2017, Danica Roem became the first openly transgender candidate to be elected to a state legislature when she won in Virginia’s 13th District. The Victory Institute says that 226 LGBTQ+ state legislators are serving – the most ever and an increase of 18 percent since 2022. In Oklahoma, voters elected Mauree Turner, the first openly nonbinary person to the state House. She’s also the first Muslim legislator in Oklahoma.

Women as Mayors

As with other levels of government, women are making important strides at the urban level, though disparities persist. Today, women lead major cities like Phoenix (Kate Gallego) and San Francisco (London Breed), marking a giant leap from a generation ago. 

Still, out of the 1,616 mayors and officials who perform mayoral functions of U.S. cities, towns, and minor civil divisions with populations over 30,000, women number 417, or 25.8%, of mayors.

Policies to Support More Women in Leadership

There are several policies that government agencies can and have started to implement to support more women in leadership positions:

• Flexible work arrangements: Women have historically been disadvantaged in regard to balancing work and family responsibilities. Offering flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible hours, enhances opportunities for those needing to balance obligations outside of their political position.
• Pay equity: Ensuring pay equity between state or lower government positions with private sector jobs enhances the opportunity for those who do not have financial flexibility. For some, a career in the public sector is not possible due to lower-than-median income levels often paid for many government roles.
• Quotas: Setting quotas for women’s representation in government can help ensure that women are represented at all levels of government. This includes ensuring individual donors, political parties, and PACs set voluntary goals to increase the proportion of women on ballots. This also includes funds being apportioned for open-seat elections where women and other historically marginalized candidates often find greater election success.
• Childcare services: Providing affordable and accessible childcare services can help women balance work and family responsibilities. In 2019, Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) proposed H.R. 1623 (Help America Run Act) to allow campaign funds to be used for certain personal expenses such as childcare expenses.
• Encouraging political participation: Encouraging women’s political participation and leadership can help create a more diverse and representative government. One of the primary means of ensuring this happens is to ensure small-donor financing can take precedence over big money in elections. In 2021, Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) proposed H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021, which sets provisions for ethical campaign practices and campaign financing. This type of financing structure may lead to greater participation and equity in campaigning.

How Many Women Work in the Government?

Currently, women have 25 out of 100 seats in the U.S. Congress, and, as of March 2024, 126 women are serving in the House of Representatives.

What Is the Percentage of Women in the Federal Government?

The 118th Congress has a record number of women serving in the House of Representatives, with 29% of the chamber represented by women. In addition, 25% of the Senate is made up of women.

How Many U.S. Senators are Women?

There are currently 25 women serving as U.S. Senators. This includes 15 Democrats, nine Republicans, and one Independent Senator.

Who Was the First Women to Work in the Federal Government?

In 1917, Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first women to serve in Congress when she was elected into the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Frances Perkins became the first woman appointed to a presidential Cabinet when she was sworn in as Secretary of Labor in 1933.

The Bottom Line

Over the past three decades, the growth of women leaders at all levels of government has been significant, reflecting a promising shift towards equality. However, their overall representation remains low when considering that they make up more than half of the population. In addition, the visibility and inclusion of nonbinary and gender-fluid individuals in political positions lag significantly behind. Progress is clear, but there’s still a long way to go to fully include all genders in political leadership across the U.S.

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