56.2% of women compared to 53.1% of men (of all ages) voted in 2000. However, only 37% of women ages 20-24 and 43.3% of women ages 25-29 voted in 2000. (Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers, Fact Sheet on Young Women and Politics, 2004, Read it, PDF, 25 KB)

Unmarried women comprise the largest group of unregistered voters and nonvoting citizens. 22 million unmarried women who were eligible to vote did not vote in the 2000 elections. (Women's Voices. Women Vote. Read it)

World-wide Firsts for Women in Politics:

• 1960
  First woman Prime Minister in the world - Sirimo Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka (Seager, Joni, Women in the World, Penguin, 2003, p95)
• 1975
  First black woman Prime Minister of an independent state - Elisabeth Domitien, Central African Republic (Seager, Joni, Women in the World, Penguin, 2003, p95)
• 1984
  First and only woman in the United States on the presidential ticket as Vice-President for a major party - Geraldine Ferraro (Gender Gap in Government)
• 2003
  First legislative body in the world to have equal numbers of men and women - Welsh Assembly (Online Women in Politics)

For fact sheets:

Center for the American Woman and Politics
League of Women Voters
Smart Voter

For links to reports, papers, and proceedings, click here to READ IT!

In 2004, women held 13.8% of the seats in the 108th U.S. Congress. 14 women hold seats in the Senate, and 60 women hold seats in the House of Representatives. (Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers, Fact Sheet on Women in Elective Office 2004, Read it, PDF, 64 KB)

Rwanda now has the world's highest proportion of female members of parliament. Following elections in October 2003, 48.8% of Rwanda's MPs are women, says the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Sweden, where 45% of MPs are women, has been the long-standing leader of the IPU ranking of women in parliament. (Online Women in Politics, Read it)

Youngest Women to Serve in Elected Office in the U.S.

• Jane Swift (R) - 36 when she was elected lieutenant governor of MA, then became governor in 2001 when previous governor stepped down
• Blanch Lincoln (D-AR) - 38 when she took office in the U.S. Senate in January, 1999
• Elizabeth Holtzman (D-NY) - 31 when sworn into office in 1973

(Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers, Fact Sheet on Young Women and Politics, 2004, Read it, PDF, 25 KB)

For fact sheets:

Center for the American Woman and Politics
The White House Project

For links to reports, papers, and proceedings, click here to READ IT!