In Chattanooga, women’s groups are banning together to combat what they believe to be a temperamental environment when it comes to women’s rights in the state of Tennessee. The goal of the groups’ is to get the women involved elected into government positions so that they can begin changing the current climate.
A recent study has announced that Tennessee is one of the worst States in the U.S. to live if you’re a woman. Taking into consideration equal pay, safety and an abundance of other categories, the report suggests that women of Tennessee are not on par with the women from other states.
The reports diagnosis of the current situation launched a locally based Chattanoogan women’s group to start a campaign advocating for women’s rights. The campaign, known as 49 to One, aims to propel women from the state of Tennessee from the bottom of the roster to the top.
Identifying the most recent election as having a key impact on women’s issues, members of the groups feel that women have now (more than ever) felt a desire to participate in politics and to have their issues properly recognized.
One of the largest reasons that the women’s group believes that women are sitting so low on the totem pole in Tennessee, is that there is simply no one to represent their needs. The current political makeup for the Tennessee government simply doesn’t have enough representation for women, according to the women’s groups. In the last ten years, reported women voters has jumped more than two percent, showing that women are more interested in politics than ever before, and the coalition the women’s groups are building hopes to increase that number even further.
The campaign 49 to One is derived from the fact the report placed Tennessee as the 49th state in the United States for women’s rights. This number is a far cry from where men and children placed in the state, leading activists to question why the women of Tennessee are suffering so greatly in contrast to other members of their family.
Women, traditionally, just have not been as involved in the political spectrum as their male counterparts. Nationally, only 20 percent of elected officials have been women while only 5 percent of those women represented Republican parties.
From the group, thus far, multiple women have expressed an intention to run for political office, while other members of the group are more than eager to lend assistance to the would-be candidates through grass roots support.
Long term members of the women’s groups have expressed their excitement at the sudden surge in political interest. Many have not seen this much interest in many years, if ever. Women are still being seen as a forefront for the political spectrum and their furthered involvement will only increase the rights of women in Tennessee.
For more information on how you can get involved, readers are asked to visit the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga directly.
