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The Female Candidate for Office: Challenges and Hurdles
  • Date: Thursday, June 13, 2019 - Friday, June 14, 2019
  • Time: 11:00 pm
  • Location: William G. McGowan Theater, Washington, DC

In the 116th Congress, a record of 127 women are serving as Representatives and 25 as Senators, only 28% of the entire Congress.  What factors account for these large gaps between men and women serving in Congress? Do women face challenges throughout the media that cross party lines, and do voters show a tendency to hold women to a higher standard in the media than men?  Running a negative advertisement against an opponent may cause far more intense backlash for a female than a male. Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri moderates a panel discussion with Ann Lewis, former White House Director of Communications; and former members of Congress, Donna Edwards (D-MD). Barbara Comstock (R-VA), Connie Morella (R-MD), and others.

Presented in partnership with the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress.

Rightfully Hers programs are made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, AARP, AT&T, Ford Motor Company Fund, Facebook, Barbara Lee Family Foundation Fund at the Boston Foundation, Google, HISTORY®, and Jacqueline B. Mars. Additional support provided by the Bernstein Family Foundation and the Hearst Foundations.

All public programs at the National Archives are free. Reservations are recommended; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors to the building will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program. Use the Special Events entrance on the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. Click here for more information on getting to the National Archives and parking.

Live captioning will be available online and in the William G. McGowan Theater. If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for an event (such as a downloadable transcript or a sign language interpreter), please send an email to public.program@nara.gov or call 202.357.5000 in advance.

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