Sexist, misogynistic and with a list of sexual misconduct allegations that would make even Harvey Weinstein blush, Donald Trump has hardly been the face of feminism in his first year in office – But he has done one remarkable thing for US women.
Emily’s List, which helps elect pro-choice Democratic female candidates to office, recently announced that over 20,000 women have reached out to the organisation since Election Day about running for office.
That compares to just 992 applicants in 2016.
An additional 8,000 people have signed up to help a woman run, in what has been declared an “unprecedented” feat by EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock.
She said: “Women continue stepping up and demanding to be at the decision-making table – here in Michigan and in every other state across the country.
“This is a surge of grassroots energy unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
“We’ve spent more than 30 years preparing for this kind of moment, and we’re ready to channel this energy into wins for women up and down the ballot, not just in 2018 but for the years and generations to come.”
“I want every woman who’s ever wondered whether she can really make a difference to know that she’s not alone.”
New research has also revealed more women than ever have filed to run for the US House of Representatives. 272 women filed to run in 2016 but that number is now up to 353, according to the Center for American Women and Politics, a nonpartisan research center.
That increase is driven pretty much entirely by Democratic women, whose 291 House candidates this cycle represent a stunning 64 percent jump over the last election. Of those women, 183 are challenging Republican incumbents and an additional 17 are challenging incumbent members of their own party.
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