Accepting HKS Class Day Award nominations

Do you have great classmates organizing students around gender issues? Or a tireless advocate for women in the HKS community? How about an outstanding PAE or SYPA focusing on a gendered topic? Nominate your colleagues now!

The Women and Public Policy Program offers three awards on HKS Class Day. All nominations are due Friday May 10, 2013 by 5 pm, submitted via email to Megan Farwell at megan_farwell@hks.harvard.edu and recipients will presented their award on Class Day.

Keynote address by Rep. Barbara
Jordan, Democratic National Convention
July 12, 1976 (Library of Congress)

"The imperative is to define what is right and do it."
- Barbara Jordan

Barbara Jordan Award for Women’s Leadership

This award honors one graduating student at Harvard Kennedy School for her/his commitment to building community and for serving as a role model for women aspiring to be leaders.

 

Holly Taylor Sargent Prize for Women’s Advancement

This prize will be awarded to a member of the Harvard Kennedy School community (faculty, staff or student) who has done the most to advance the opportunities, situation and status of women within the HKS community.

 

Jane Mansbridge Research Award

This award recognizes an outstanding research paper (PAE, SYPA, etc.) whose analysis of an organization or topic is focused on women or gender.

Women's political opportunities in Kenya

WAPPP faculty adviser, Jane Mansbridge's, work is cited in the East African article, "Wanjiku’s Parliament Part II: Why should women’s representation matter?" about the future of women's political opportunities in Kenya.

Both presence and numbers matter for another critically important reason: Having significant numbers of women in parliament sends a loud and clear signal to all citizens that women have a proper place in the halls of power. This is particularly important when battling historically entrenched ideas. As democratic theorist Jane Mansbridge points out, this signalling effect goes far beyond mere symbolism. In societies where women have been historically excluded from the franchise (as in Kenya during colonial times), and then excluded from positions of responsibility (as in Kenya today), bringing women’s representation above the “critical mass” threshold makes it unambiguous that women can no longer be treated as second-class citizens.

Should feminists back Michele Bachmann? (The Guardian)

This Gaurdian article, 'Should feminists back Michele Bachmann,' draws from WAPPP faculty adviser Jane Mansbridge's work to look at the impact of Bachmann's candidacy. The author writes:

Bachmann's politics may make her an undesirable standard-bearer for feminist principles, but if her presence in the race means greater female participation in politics, should women back Bachmann?

The answer must be a contingent yes. Feminist philosopher and Harvard professor Jane Mansbridge explored in a 1999 article the question of whether blacks should represent blacks and women represent women. She argued that "descriptive representation", or representation by people who, in some way, look and sound like their voter base, is good in certain contexts.

There are two particular implications from Mansbridge's research that should make us pause before throwing Bachmann out with the bathwater.

First, there are occasions in democracy that lend themselves to descriptive representation. Descriptive representatives can, according to Mansbridge, communicate to their voter base in a way others cannot. They also force us to deliberate on issues specific to their identity as a representative.

Second, descriptive representation can potentially recast underrepresented groups as "capable of ruling". Whatever Bachmann's politics, her presence as a serious presidential contender helps American society see women as potential political leaders. This, in turn, enhances the democratic legitimacy of a group historically excluded from high office – women.

Full article: 'Should feminists back Michele Bachmann', The Guardian, August 25, 2011