Women of the Senate inspire author to research, write book about female influence

Jay Newton-Small, Washington correspondent for Time Magazine, was inspired to her write Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing the Way America Works after writing a story about the women of the Senate coming together to end the federal-government shutdown of 2013, she told a National Press Club Book Rap April 13.

That year marked the first time that the Senate had sworn in 20 female senators who went on to chair 11 of the 20 Senate committees. Those 20 women had achieved critical mass. Newton-Small marveled at their effectiveness despite still being a relatively small group.

During her subsequent research, including interviews with nearly 200 successful women, she discovered that the principle of critical mass holds true across occupational fields. Studies have shown that corporate boards with 3o percent women are immensely successful.

In the last decade, the public sector has leapfrogged ahead of the private sector with its efforts to employ higher numbers of women. Women have reached critical mass in the Senate, in President Obama’s administration, and in the federal judiciary.

Newton-Small discovered that no matter the field, "the hardest glass ceiling to break was executive office." She attributes this to the "toughness test" -- the need for a woman to prove herself as qualified and capable of making hard decisions while simultaneously remaining likable.

Although women today might be encouraged by the success of women like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Newton-Small noted that there are still barriers to overcome. "The hallmark of the millennials is being the first generation to just assume equality of the sexes," she said.

When young women enter the workforce, they are often shocked to see that the equality they enjoyed in childhood and college does not exist. Newton-Small offered two tips for women trying to navigate these challenges.

She called self-promotion "a talent that women have to learn." Doing good work is not enough. If women shy away from touting their accomplishments, the accomplishments might be lost.

Another strategy is to seek out mentors -- male and female -- who can offer support and affirmation when needed.

There’s a still a long way to go until gender parity, but Newton-Small is encouraged by the progress that she’s seen.

"My whole life I always thought we would never get to parity and it would be forever until women actually reached equality in the workforce,” Newton-Small said. “I was excited to see this idea that getting to between 20 and 30 percent … we can actually be heard and have an impact."

The Book Rap was co-sponsored by the NPC's Young Members and Book & Author Committees.