Data shows the number of women candidates in the 2018 primary elections has increased in Missouri but decreased in Kansas since 2016
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Women’s Foundation is celebrating a milestone this week, announcing the appointments of four women in Missouri and Kansas to public boards and commissions. It marks a significant moment for the foundation, bringing the total number of women appointed through the organization’s Appointments Project® to 90.
The four women are Kaylee Peile, BreAnna Monk, Katherine Goad, and Monica Walker. Monk will be joining the Kansas Volunteer Commission. Goad will be joining the Kansas Council on Travel and Tourism. Peile will be joining the Kansas City History Preservation Board, and Walker will be joining the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board.
“This is a milestone for the Women’s Foundation, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of leaders, community members, and women across Kansas and Missouri who are diversifying and strengthening their communities,” said Wendy Doyle, President and CEO of Women’s Foundation. “I’m thrilled the Appointments Project® has given so many women the encouragement and tools they need to be successful.”
According to the Foundation, the Appointments Project®, which began in 2014, saw a 300 percent increase in the number of Appointments Project® locations in 2018, and the two dozen locations are now present in every congressional district of Kansas and Missouri.
The project aims to remove barriers for women to serve on public boards and commissions in an effort to make boards and commissions more reflective of the populations they serve, working as a talent bank and advisor for women seeking appointed positions in state and local government.
The news also comes as the Foundation released an analysis showing a higher percentage of women running for Missouri offices in 2018 than in 2016. In this year’s primary election, 264 women ran in Kansas and Missouri, as opposed to the 238 in 2016.
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|
Women Candidates 2016 |
Women Candidates 2018 |
|
Missouri |
102 (21.25%) |
162 (25.02%) |
|
Kansas |
136 (27.59%) |
102 (25.75%) |
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
