Women's Center to host political workshop for women

More women than ever were elected to U.S. Congress in 2012, yet Michigan lost three seats held by women in the state House of Representatives.

To help boost the number of women serving in local, state and national politics, the Women’s Center will again host “Ready to Run Michigan,” a bipartisan campaign training program designed to encourage women to run for office.

The workshop is set for April 20 in the Kirkhof Center. Cost to attend is $125; visit www.gvsu.edu/women_cen and click on the “Ready to Run Michigan” button to register or for more information. Call the center at (616) 331-2748 with questions.

The workshop will include sessions on campaign planning, fundraising, media training and messaging. Campaign professionals will lead trainings, and elected and appointed female politicians are scheduled to speak and provide insight.

The keynote speaker will be Rebecca Sive, author of “Every Day is Election Day: A Woman’s Guide to Winning Any Office, From the PTA to the White House.” The book recounts success stories, strategies and suggestions of women in politics and public affairs leadership positions. Sive, public affairs strategist, is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post on women, politics, culture and race.

Shannon M. Garrett, president of SMG Strategies, will also be among the presenters. A leading political trainer and campaign strategist, Garrett said Michigan politics needs women’s voices “now more than ever.”

“Research shows that female leaders tend to bring greater inclusiveness to decision making, have more empathy for those their decisions impact, and collaborate across party lines to find workable solutions,” Garrett said. “These are exactly the traits we could use more of in Lansing, Washington, and in county and municipal bodies in Michigan.”

Michigan ranks 36th in the nation in the number of women serving in the state legislature. There are four women senators (out of 38 seats) and 24 representatives (110 seats).

Ready to Run Michigan is supported with funding from Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, SMG Strategies, Meijer, ITC Holdings Corp., Michigan Democratic Party, Republican Women’s Federation of Michigan, and the Michigan ACE Women’s Network.