News Articles

Emerge America gives women a 'voice' in politics

alisha — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:11:26 -0400

Even as the recent primaries ushered in a new set of faces into the world of politics, a group of determined Bay Area women - many of them local community leaders - are working to equip other women to make a difference by running for office.

Emerge California, a branch of the national democratic women's group Emerge America, is a San-Francisco based nonprofit organization and political training program whose goals are to inspire and prepare more women to pursue positions in government and to increase the number of Democratic women in office. Since its inception, it has trained about 500 women, 40 percent of which have run for or been appointed to positions of office.

The group celebrated their eighth year in San Francisco with their sixth annual fundraiser on June 17, featuring former independent gubernatorial candidate Arianna Huffington and honoring co-founder Andrea Dew Steele as the 2010 Woman of the Year. The event, attended by about 400 people, showcased the program's achievements in recruiting and training women for political positions.

"We're passionate about seeing representation [from women] in the local, state and federal government, and to see the face of politics change by having women in all those levels," said Gretchen Schoenstein, co-founder of Emerge California and interim executive director of Emerge America. "We hope that people will see that women have a seat at the decision-making table, the agenda will change."

Through a seven-month training program, Emerge members undergo a series of weekend classes and workshops that train and equip them for positions of office.

Schoenstein said that the Emerge program has three components: the first is to equip women with skills and tools necessary for public office; the second, to partner them up with existing elected officials for mentorship; and the third, to create a strong network for its members, reaching out to alumni and gathering community support.

"We want to create that support because once you get your foot in the door, it's a little bit easier to make it to the next level," Schoenstein said.

Some of the workshops and classes include fundraising, networking, public speaking and ethics - all the "nitty gritty" of running a campaign. These are taught by trainers and facilitators from a variety of community organizations in the Bay Area.

"Politics still comes down to who can run the best campaign and communicate their message effectively," said co-founder Andrea Dew Steele. The national organization was founded in 2002 and has since spread to nine states, including Arizona, Maine and Nevada.

The community support is also a key factor to Emerge's recruitment of members, as alumni who win positions of office serve as ambassadors for the group, looking through their communities for qualified women - usually exemplary volunteers or community leaders - to go through the program. Labor unions, democratic organizations and other local social or political groups help draw worthy candidates to the program.

Among these leaders are San Pablo City Councilwoman Cecilia Valdez, who started as a co-founder of the Latina/o Democratic Club of West Contra Costa County, and Darleen Brooks, civil rights officer for the Alameda County Social Services Agency, who began as an Oakland activist working closely with council members.

Schoenstein and co-founder Steele were motivated to establish Emerge California in 2002, at a time when only two out of San Francisco's 11 supervisors were women and after doing extensive research on the number of women in politics.

Eight years later, even when more women have entered politics in both the city and the state, and many others appointed to city councils and school boards, Schoenstein said she believes California still has a long way to go, with women making up only 28 percent of the state legislature.

"It's hard to believe San Francisco has only had one woman mayor, and we're supposed to be one of the most progressive cities in the world," Schoenstein said.

She added that the public's common misconception is that women don't get as many votes, when in a reality, female candidates have the same chances of winning as their male counterparts. "But the problem is, we don't have as many women [candidates] to choose from," she said.

The organization's goal is to expand to three more states by 2012, and eventually reach every state.

"I have faith that when that happens, our communities will thrive in a way that they couldn't without these women," Schoenstein said.

Andrea Dew Steele Weighs in on CA Gubernatorial Race

Rosemary Dilger — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:56:40 -0500

KTVU recently did a peice on the California gubernatorial race, asking why there are so few choices on the ballot. Among others, Andrea Dew Steele, president and founder of Emerge America shared her perspective.

Upward Bound

Rosemary Dilger — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:06:03 -0500

A boot camp for Democratic women aims to decimate the gender gap in Oregon politics

Lessons From the Coakley Loss

Rosemary Dilger — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:45:48 -0500

Emerge America President & Founder, Andrea Dew Steele, gives her opinion on the importance of training candidates - and the difference it might have made in last night's special election.

Tualatin councilor jumps into state House District 37 race

Rosemary Dilger — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:16:31 -0500

Recent Emerge Oregon graduate, Joelle Davis, throws her hat in the ring for Oregon State House of Representatives, district 37.

Women working to attain equality in politics

Rosemary Dilger — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:36:58 -0500

While we certainly see a number of women running for statewide office in 2010, let's not throw a victory party for equal representation just yet.

The California Legislature has only 33 women in its ranks - out of 120 legislators, that's less than 28 percent.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has three women of 11, about 27 percent.

Unfortunately, these numbers have been relatively stagnant for years.

Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University ("The women of 2010," Nov. 23) makes compelling points about obstacles women face, the most salient being that women typically don't self-nominate; they need to be asked, and still they often believe they are not as qualified as male peers.

That's the main reason behind Emerge California and its mission to train Democratic women interested in running for office. By providing the necessary campaign nuts and bolts while demystifying the process, we give women what they need to run - and win, often at the local level.

These women fill the pipeline to higher office so that two decades from now proclamations about the Year of the Woman will be a distant memory, because women running for office will no longer be novel or newsworthy.

Teresa Olle of San Francisco is chair of Emerge California.

Dem Women's Group Opens in KY

Rosemary Dilger — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:10:00 -0500

Emerge Kentucky is off to a running start! Take a moment to read a fantastic article about our first affiliate in the South.

Emerge Arizona on televsion!

Rosemary Dilger — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:11:49 -0500

Emerge Arizona is highlighted in this short video from a local television station in Arizona.

Click here to watch it!

Emerge Kentucky is on a roll!

Rosemary Dilger — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:23:16 -0500

Check out this article from Business First about our newest affiliate Emerge Kentucky.

Emerge Maine on the Radio!

Rosemary Dilger — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:08:09 -0400

Listen to Kaylene Waindle of Emerge Maine on the radio by clicking the link below.

"Why don't more women run for public office? One Maine non-profit believes it's because women, more so than men, need to be invited to run, and to feel confident that they have the skills they'll need before committing to a campaign. In an effort to create a "new old girl's network," a group called Emerge Maine is offering a six-month campaign and leadership training program for Democratic women interested in public service."

http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/8877/Default.aspx