A CALL TO ACTION
As former President Obama once said: “A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.” A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to welcome the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame Traveling Exhibit sponsored by The Commission on the Status of Women, an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors, to the Foster City Library. This exhibit, established in 1984, is an important and lasting way to recognize the incredible contributions of women of all walks of life to the well-being of our County and individual communities. These women are pioneers who have created new opportunities and broken down barriers for the benefit of all of us. Today, that honor roll exceeds 250. I encourage you to stop by the library and view the exhibit to read the bios of these amazing women.
The women honored in this Hall of Fame have done extraordinary things to improve their communities. This exhibit is a testament to the strength, power, and influence of women in all aspects of life, business, and politics. In 2017, 25% of the state legislators in the United States were women. Women currently hold about 23% of the State Senate seats and 26% of the State House or Assembly seats. Since 1971, the number of women serving in state legislatures has increased fivefold. That’s great news! However, did you know that California ranks 30 in its women representatives in our State’s legislature? Arizona is number one at 40% female representatives. Our percentage is about 23. According to a recent demographics report, California’s population consists of about 50% male and 50% female, which means that women are under-represented. The median age of women in California is 36. These statistics surprised me because I have always considered California as on the cutting edge of progression on women’s issues. Even more surprising is the statistic that the United States is ranked 104th worldwide in women’s representation in government.
I recently read that women are much less likely than men to run for a public office because they do not think they are qualified to run. Well, I can tell you that we are more than qualified to run. We have done a great job of increasing our influence and crashing through the glass ceiling, but we obviously have more work to do.
I encourage more women, young or older, to aspire to be more active in their communities. As an elected official here in Foster City, I am only the fifth woman in our City’s history to serve on the Council. We need to increase that number. I am honored to serve and look forward to more women getting involved in various areas of our communities to help build a better life for all the residents. We have many opportunities to serve our City and residents, and I hope you will heed the call to action. In fact, this year is an election year; and if you or anyone you know would like to get involved as a City Council member, I would be happy to talk with you.
I commend the efforts of the new inductees to the Hall of Fame and the current members of the Hall, as well. We need more women to aspire to take action to make our communities better for all of our residents, whether young or old. It is not an easy job. I can testify to that! You have to work with a lot of egos and stand up for what you truly believe is the best action for your community as a whole no matter what. You have to put up with the name-calling and bullying and outright lies. But the payoff can be rewarding and satisfying. It is up to us to commit to such a life of service from all walks of life to take on the responsibility of building a better life for our children and grandchildren, just like the women who are members of the Hall of Fame. I am proud of their efforts, and I hope they become an inspiration to all of us to become involved in making our County and communities wonderful places to live.
As always, you may contact me at cmahanpour@fostercity.org. I look forward to hearing from you.
