INDIANAPOLIS (January 20, 2015) – The Indiana Commission for Women has published its 2014 Women in Elected Offices, based on the November 4, 2014 General Elections. The 2015 Indiana General Assembly, which convened January 6, 2015, has 30 women (20 percent) among its 150 members. According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, Indiana is ranked 35th in the United States for the proportion of women in its Legislature.
The new Legislature will include 30 women elected to the General Assembly on November 4, 2014, which is a slight decrease in the number of women serving. Of those elected, women gained two seats in the Senate, increasing the number to ten women while the House of Representatives lost three seats. Five women will serve in serve in state executive offices, the highest number of women to serve simultaneously. At the national level, two women continue to represent Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jackie Walorski (R) was re-elected to represent the 2nd Congressional District and Susan Brooks (R) was re-elected to represent the 5th Congressional Districts.
In ICW’s Hoosier Women Speak initiative, women's leadership, particularly in policy-making offices, was identified as one of the top five priority areas. ICW serves as a collection site of women's progress as leaders with an emphasis on local, county and state government levels. Since 2008, ICW has been monitoring women's progress in leadership positions by providing a benchmark of women's status in the state legislature. In 2009 and 2010, ICW published "Women in the Indiana General Assembly" and has been collating statistics on women in all levels of government in Indiana. To view these reports, visit: http://www.in.gov/icw/2415.htm.
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About the Indiana Commission for Women(ICW):The mission of the Indiana Commission for Women (ICW) is to understand the needs of Indiana women and their families, and to work strategically both within government and in our communities to help bring about positive solutions. ICW is committed to the full participation of women in all aspects of society in order to make Indiana a better place to live, work and raise a family.