Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021
What is Elect Her: Aggie Women Win?
In 2013, Texas A&M University was selected as one of only 50 host sites for Elect Her: Campus Women Win, the only program in the country that encourages and trains college women to run for student government and future political office. Elect Her addresses the need to expand the pipeline for women running for office and to diminish the longstanding political leadership gender gap. This one-day nonpartisan conference allows Aggie women to engage in conversations about how to develop a message, connect with constituents and learn from dynamic speakers about the ins and outs of the campaign trail. Past Elect Her speakers include members of the Texas House of Representatives, mayors, a Texas Supreme Court judge, city council members and others.
The national Elect Her Program is run by Running Start, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating young women and girls about the importance of politics and imbuing them with the skills they need to be leaders.
Why is Elect Her Necessary on our Campus?
This incredibly important opportunity is vital for our campus in order to increase the number of women in the Texas A&M Student Government Association and at all levels of government. For the last several years, the percentage of women in the Student Senate, the Texas State Legislature, and in the U.S. Congress has remained in the high teens to low 20s. We were very excited to see Hannah Wimberly, an Elect Her Alumna, elected the first female Student Body President in 15 years. Some of our other distinguished Elect Her Alumnae include both the 2017 Class President, Claire Wimberly, and the 2019 Student Body President, Amy Sharp. Research shows that engaging in leadership opportunities at an early age is vital to a woman’s overall political success. When the American University’s Women & Politics Institute surveyed women serving in the U.S. Congress, they found that over 53% of the congresswomen served in student government in high school, college, or both. Elect Her addresses these issues and establishes a pipeline for women in politics. 100% of the 2019 Elect Her class felt that the conference positively impacted their decision to run for office in the future, and 98% said that they are likely to implement the ideas and concepts they learned at the conference.
What Does an Elect Her Conference Look Like?
Elect Her is a one-day conference typically held in early to mid-November. Campus administrators and students collaborate with Running Start staff to plan the conference each year. Participants practice hands-on campaign skills, hear from inspiring local speakers, and discuss research on women in government. Due to COVID, the spring 2021 Conference will be held via Zoom on Jan. 30 from 12:45 to 4 p.m.
2020 Elect Her: Aggie Women Win Conference Agenda
January 2021 Conference Agenda will be uploaded before winter break.
How are Students Admitted to an Elect Her Conference?
Students are admitted to the Elect Her: Aggie Women Win Conference through two mechanisms.
Nomination
Anyone may nominate students for the Elect Her Conference. Self-nominations are not permitted. If a nominated student accepts their nomination, they are automatically registered for the conference. Nominations are due on Friday, Jan. 22. All nominators will be notified regarding the status of their nominated student's registration on Monday, Jan. 25. Nominators are encouraged to follow-up with their students if they have not registered by that time.
Nominated students must complete an online registration form to accept their nomination. Individuals who have been nominated for Elect Her will be notified via email of their nomination and be provided a link to online registration. Nominated students must register online no later than Tuesday, Jan. 26.
Application
All Texas A&M University students are welcomed to apply for admission into the Elect Her Conference. Applications are due no later than Tuesday, Jan. 26.
While Elect Her is focused on female-identified students, students of all genders are welcomed to attend. The conference is open to undergraduate, graduate and professional students. If you have any questions about applying or registering for Elect Her, contact Heather Wheeler, Director of Gender & Sexual Diversity for the Offices of the Dean of Student Life, at heatherw@studentlife.tamu.edu or 979.845.8784.