EMILY'S List Gears Up for Younger Women

RedTracker| Politico features an interview with Stephanie Schrlock, the 36-year-old president of EMILY’S List, the group designed to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights. Schrlock takes over from Ellen Malcolm, who founded Emily’s List.

Acknowleding that the political climate is challenging, the new head of EMILY’S List has hired Karin Johanson, former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and former EMILY’s List political director, to make a full review of the group’s role in the Massachusetts Senate race, in which Republican Scott Brown trounced Democrat Martha Coakley.

EMILY’S List has raised $13.3 million so far this cycle, putting it among the top four political action committees based on total receipts, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The group’s total receipts have held steady at around $35 million. But how to attract the next generation of online donors — many of whom helped President Barack Obama raise $114.1 million, or 34 percent of his general election sum, through small donations under $200 — to Emily’s List is a key question for Schriock.

EMILY’S list has the challenge of convincing younger American women to elect women politicians. On the one hand, younger women consider themselves to be members of a post-feminist society.

Reality is that the US ranks 61 on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Equality Index in political representation of women, and we’re dropping. Many countries are leaving America behind, mandating that quotas for women be part of their governance. Most recently India has passed a law in the upper house mandating that 1/3 of seats go to women. The bill is expected to pass the lower house in the coming months. Read on EMILY’S List looks to next generation.