All South Carolinians lose when we marginalize women’s voices in the Legislature
Originally published by Paul Hyde for the SC Daily Gazette
The problem with the South Carolina Legislature is women: There aren’t enough of them.
The House and Senate are largely boys’ clubs and have been for a long time.
After the recent elections, women make up only 13% of the House and Senate. Meanwhile, women comprise 51.4% of the state’s population.
In other words, our Legislature is laughably unrepresentative of South Carolina.
Governing bodies should reflect the people they serve. Our House and Senate do not.
The problem becomes acutely obvious when a Legislature that is 87% male dictates abortion laws.
Women have a voice in South Carolina politics, but it’s drowned out by the mansplaining boys.
Elections this year drove our Legislature even further toward a full-blown bro-ocracy.