Christine de Pizan

Christine de Pizan
The Writer Christine de Pizan at Her Desk

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Women and the 118th U. S. Congress

 Women and the 118th U. S. Congress (convenes 3 January 2023)


There will be a record number of women in the 118th U. S. Congress--149 women, a grand total of two (TWO!!!) more than in the 117th Congress. 

Of this total, 124 women will serve in the House of Representatives (91 of them Democrats). And 25 of the 100 U. S. Senators are women (16 of them Democrats). 

From Center for American Women and Politics

But before you party too hard, this number represents only 27.9% of the total seats in Congress (535). As Beth Daley notes for The Conversation: "At this rate, it will take 118 more years – until 2140 – for there to be an equal number of male and female lawmakers in Congress."

And in the broader picture? Again, here's Daley: "While women are underrepresented in governments around the globe, it is a particularly significant problem in the United States. Currently, the U.S. ranks 73rd in the world when it comes to female representation in government."

Another revealing graphic, this one from CNN