More women working in state government in recent years

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- When outgoing Gov. Bob Holden reflected recently on accomplishments during his term, one of the things he mentioned is providing more opportunities for women in government.

And he has a national study to back him up. The University of Albany's Center for Women in Government and Civil Society released a study ranking states for the share of women in government leadership positions in relation to how much of the population they comprise.

The study found that Missouri moved from 41st in the country in 1999 to fifth in 2003. That's one of the biggest jumps any state made.

"I am pleased to see Missouri's score on this national report improve so drastically during my first term in office," Holden said when the report came out earlier this year. "I am committed to the philosophy of state government representing the demographics of the state of Missouri."

The study took into account women who lead state agencies or are top advisers for governors.

"It's not as though men cannot be responsive to women's interests," said Judith Saidel, who led the study. "The full range of experience and perspective that women would bring to political decision-making is much more likely to be available if women themselves are in government at these high levels."

Political scientists say having some top government jobs filled by women is important, from a political as well as a policy perspective.

"Women have become a key part of the electorate. As such, it is necessary to represent them in state governing positions where the governor has that discretion," said Steven Puro, a political science professor at Saint Louis University.

At the same time, Puro and others said, the state has reached a point where people are largely selected based on their qualifications, regardless of gender.

"We don't talk about it much anymore," said Terry Jones, who teaches political science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. "Talent is talent. The glass ceiling, if not broken, at least is cracked."

For the past couple years, Holden's communications director and chief of staff were both women. The directors of the revenue and labor agencies and the Office of Administration also were women.

Incoming Republican Gov.-elect Matt Blunt is still determining many of his appointments. But he has chosen a new revenue director, also a woman, and named a man to lead the Office of Administration. His spokesman said Blunt is looking for the best candidates for various jobs, regardless of race or gender.

Nationally, women held 32 percent of top leadership posts last year, the study found, up from 28.3 percent in 1997. In Missouri, women held 42.9 percent of top appointed jobs. The center said only five states -- including Missouri -- are close to parity.

The center also provided updated information recently that also looked at the judicial branch and other elected offices.

Among all branches of government, the center said, Missouri's share of women in leadership stayed about the same from 1998 to 2004, at 22.8 percent.

Holden, a Democrat, has appointed two women to the Missouri Supreme Court, giving the seven-member court two female judges at the same time for the first time in state history.

Missouri also has two female statewide elected officials -- State Auditor Claire McCaskill and State Treasurer Nancy Farmer. Come January, the state will still have McCaskill and again have a woman treasurer, Sarah Steelman, and a female secretary of state, Robin Carnahan.

Also, according to the center, just six legislative chambers nationwide were led by women -- and Missouri counted House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, who leaves office in January.

While academics and government officials can debate about what the adequate number is for women in top government jobs, it's clear that Missouri increased its share of women in appointed leadership jobs in recent years. It remains to be seen whether that trend will hold true.

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On the Net:

Center for Women in Government: http://www.cwig.albany.edu

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Newswoman Kelly Wiese covers state government and politics for The Associated Press.