With the announcement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, women across the country are inspired by the hope of becoming the first female president in United States history.

Former Senator Hillary Clinton broke barriers in 2016 to become the first woman to lead a major party for the highest elected office in the land. Could 2024 be the year our country finally elects its first female president? Many of us – men and women – are working to make that a reality.

To represent women’s perspectives in government, it is important to elect more women to public office. Men can certainly be sympathetic to women’s concerns, but women will prioritize and fully understand the issues we face regarding reproductive rights, motherhood, unequal pay, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and more.

“When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, it was another reminder that we still live in a country where decisions are made for women, not by them,” wrote Melinda French Gates.

If we want to control the agenda, make decisions and allocate resources, it is imperative that women have more seats at the table.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics, only 32.3 percent of local government officials nationwide are women. While there are now a record number of women in Congress, the percentage of women still stands at just 28 percent. The picture is even bleaker when it comes to female governors and lieutenant governors.

A fundamental principle of democracy is representation, and we must make our government more like the people it is meant to serve.

While Harris has brought a lot of attention to women’s causes on a national level, it’s important to remember that the fight for women’s representation is happening at every level of our political system. I know this personally, as I was recently elected to the Larkspur City Council and am proud that women’s representation on the current council has increased to 50%.

Our state and local governments control over $3.7 trillion in spending annually and create policies that impact people’s daily lives. Women can create transformative policymaking at the state and local level on education, child care, health care, and a number of other issues that have historically gone unaddressed. That’s why I’m working to encourage more women to run for local elected office here in Marin.

The Marin Women’s Political Action Committee does an excellent job of increasing women’s representation and supporting pro-choice candidates. In the primary election this March, every candidate who received an endorsement from the MWPAC won the primary or advanced to the runoff in the November election.

The MWPAC recently held a training series called “Run to Win,” which provides important training on how to run a campaign. Let’s face it – running for office requires time and resources, two things that women have historically lacked compared to men. And women, especially minority women, have to work especially hard to prove their qualifications. The MWPAC helps women overcome these deficits and realize their leadership potential.

As it has done for nearly 20 years, MWPAC hosts three endorsement nights in September to vet candidates running for city and county seats. Anyone (regardless of age, gender, or membership status) is welcome to attend the endorsement nights, but only members are eligible to vote.