For Women’s History Month, DC Women in Politics (DCWIP) is issuing the first report card on elected officials' record on bread-and-butter issues affecting DC women!  But we cannot do it without you, so please give your score on how the elected officials performed on Women's Priority Issues in 2022.  

Your score on how those representing you in the City Council handled issues ranging from Women’s Equity to Constituent Service will be tallied and the average score published. That way we can all see how they are doing. Then, we'll meet with council members to reveal exactly how they rank according to constituents.

Most important, your responses will allow DCWIP to demand that elected officials move to improve issues for women, many who lead households, in 2023. 

Thank you for taking three minutes to complete the survey for your ward by Friday, March 24, 2023 and helping to shape a better future.

• Ward 1
• Ward 2
• Ward 3
• Ward 4
• Ward 5
• Ward 6
• Ward 7
• Ward 8

This is an opinion poll, results will be reported in aggregate.

DCWIP Response to HUD report on DCHA and the emergency legislation proposed

December 13, 2022

In the wake of the HUD report on DCHA and the emergency legislation that was proposed last week (“DC Housing Authority Stabilization and Reform Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2022” PR 24-1107) a group of DC residents convened a meeting facilitated by DC Women in Politics. This diverse group of people were brought together because of our deep concerns about the crisis at DCHA and the proposed legislation.

We commend the Council for recognizing and responding to the crisis in public housing. First and foremost, the DCHA board must have the representation and expertise needed to provide proper oversight of the agency. The amended bill will:

• increase the number of voting tenant representatives from 1 to 4;
• prohibit the perceived retaliation against Commissioners who are whistleblowers; and
• provide for the skills and expertise of Commissioners to effectively address the recommendations found in the scathing 70-page HUD Report. Additionally, it will address residents’ deep concern that the tax-payer dollars be used to provide safe and sanitary housing and that all 8,000 units be fully occupied.

In keeping with the DC Women in Politics mandate to engage women elected officials and advocating for those without an adequate voice, this is the essential framework that DCWIP has crafted in the form of a detailed amendment to the proposed legislation. We are asking all Council Members, the Chairman, and the Mayor vote to adopt these proposed changes when they take up this legislation again on December 20, 2022 with the Committee of the Whole.

Any final draft legislation or amendments voted that do not include the essential six non-mayoral appointees should be an easy “no” vote for any DC Council member committed to affordable housing and good governance.

To review the entire Amendment click here.

DC Women in Politics is a nonpartisan, non-profit women’s advocacy organization interested in increasing the number of women elected to public office and promoting a women’s action agenda. Please Join Us to support our work. 

"The Woman King" A Women's Justice Film

It's been such a long time since we've gotten together in person!

Let's meet-up for the last day in theaters of this must-see movie based on a true story of an 18th century Dohoney Woman's Military Group fighting for justice. 

Join us to watch the movie and then have a conversation,
Thursday, October 13, 2022, at the 2:30 pm showing. 

Reserve your ticket(s): $25.00 general admission
Reserve your ticket(s): $100.00 Warrior Leadership Sponsor (includes DCWIP Contributing Membership for one year)

We have purchased a limited number of tickets with reserved seats and 4 hours validated parking at the Alamo Drafthouse, 630 Rhode Island Avenue NE, Washington DC, 20002 (come play hooky with us if you can). Located right next to the Rhode Island Metro station. 

Then, join us for an after movie conversation at The Highbinder located adjacent to the lobby of the theater.

Funds raised in addition to the cost of the movie ticket will help with DCWIP programming. 

We hope you will support and vote for these amazing women candidates who won the 2022 DCWIP Preference Polls. Click on the links to see their messages on why we should support them.  

DC House of Representatives Delegate

• Eleanor Holmes Norton

Mayor of the District of Columbia

• Muriel E. Bowser 

DC City Council Candidates

• At-Large: Anita Bonds
• At-Large: Jennifer Gelencia Muhammad
• Ward 1: Brianne Nadeau 

Ward 5 Member of the State Board of Education

• Carisa Stanley Beatty

When women vote, women win!

Thank you for your consideration.

Please join or renew your membership with DC Women in Politics.

Chip in $5
Chip in $25
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Chip in $100
Pay by Check (print application and mail check)

DCWIP Action Committees

• Women’s Reproductive Rights Protection Initiative (WRRPI): Provide support to individuals, organizations, and allies with the goal of ensuring access to abortion and related services to all who need them. 
• Education
• Organizing Committee 
• Membership
• Report Card
• Voter Enfranchisement
• Women's Equity: Support improvements in women’s wages, employment, business ownership and workplace childcare.
• Public Safety: Reduce violent crime rate by preventing domestic violence, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse. Increase resources.
• Housing Equality: Prevent housing displacement via gentrification, increase affordable housing, and decrease property taxes and homelessness.
• Constituent Service: Effectiveness in responding to calls and inquiries from ward residents regarding health services, schools, and parking

If you would like to volunteer for any of these committees, please send an email to [email protected] 

The Women’s Reproductive Rights Protection Initiative (WRRPI) will provide support to individuals, organizations, and allies with the goal of ensuring access to abortion and related services to all who need them. We believe this work should be grounded in the tenets of reproductive justice, as well as reproductive access supporting individual agency, autonomy, and reproductive rights. We need to illuminate the connection between DC Statehood and keeping abortion legal and accessible in the District of Columbia.

Our Audience

• People with the capacity for pregnancy
• Women running for office and holding office in DC
• All supporters of reproductive health and rights
• The wider DC community

Our Role

• Education and Outreach
• Political Advocacy
• Supporting Allies

Actions to take

1. Volunteer to participate in DC Women in Politics’ Women’s Reproductive Rights Protection Initiative (DCWIP-WRRPI) Committee. Click here to sign-up.
2. Click here to make a donation to support the work of the Women’s Reproductive Rights Protection Initiative (WRRPI) that will provide support to individuals, organizations, and allies with the goal of ensuring access to abortion and related services to all who need them.

The 2022 General Preference Poll is now closed. We will report the results next week. 

View the 2022 DC Women General Election Candidates Statements

Please click here to complete the Preference Poll

We are having technical difficulties with the Preference Poll.

Please check back later to try again. 

At-Large Member of the DC Council Candidate -- Independent
https://www.voteforjennifer.net/

I am so honored to be invited to the DC Women in Politics Town Hall Meeting. Thank you so much! As a survivor of domestic abuse, I will continue to lead my organization: The New Royal Family of Advocates for Planetary Change in the practice of lifting and protecting women. My organization currently rescues women and children from abusive situations, pays for hotel stays and supplies food and clothing to the survivors.  We have also been serving homeless women every Saturday for the last 2 1/2 years. In addition to food and clothing items, we provide tents, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, medical supplies and more. Additionally, having experience in multiple fields, including education and mental health -- I stand firmly for equal pay and equal opportunities for women.  In conclusion, I possess a servant's heart and a listening ear. I want to hear what the needs are for women. I will use my passion and above and beyond duty actions to improve life for us all!

Click on the links below for highlights of the candidate's priorities, and how their work will improve the lives of women and their families in DC.

Candidates for Mayor of the District of Columbia

• Muriel E. Bowser (Democrat)
• Stacia R. Hall (Republican)
• Rhonda Hamilton (Independent)

Candidates for At-Large Members of the DC City Council

• Anita Bonds (Democrat)
• Jennifer Gelencia Muhammad
• Elissa Silverman (Independent)

Candidates for Ward 5 Member of the State Board of Education

• Carisa Stanley Beatty
• Nina O’Neill

Download this flyer to share information about the Town Hall.

Candidate for Ward 5 Member of the State Board of Education
ninaoneill2022.com

Hello, I am Nina O’Neill. My husband Frank and I moved to Brookland in Ward 5, eleven years ago. We have been married for 39 years and have two adult sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren. I grew up in a military family, and my sons currently serve in the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Army. I stayed home with my sons when they were young and volunteered in their schools for several years. My younger son, who is now an Army Ranger, is dyslexic, so I was often a volunteer in special education classrooms. I went back to college when my boys were in middle and high school to get an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from West Georgia State University. After that I taught 4th grade in Chattanooga TN. Our family was transferred to NJ and I went on to get a Master’s degree in Orientation and Mobility and Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind and Visually Impaired from Hunter College in NYC. While working on my Master’s degree, I taught at a school for students with learning disabilities in NJ. Since completing my Master’s degree, I have taught blind and visually impaired students in several settings and in different parts of the country. While I have lived in DC, I have worked in several school districts in the DMV with students of all ages. I am fortunate to have had two careers-“stay at home parent” and educator. Both have been challenging and rewarding. I hope to bring my experience as the parent of a special needs student, a classroom teacher, and a special education service provider to the State Board of Education to advocate for students, parents and teachers, and strengthen the many schools in Ward 5 and across DC.

Candidate for Ward 5 Member of the State Board of Education
https://carisa4ward5.com/

I am a native Washingtonian, working mother and wife and I hope to earn your vote for the Ward 5 State Board of Education.  I have lived in Ward 5 for more than 10 years.  Like many families, my husband and I work hard to put food on the table and care for our young son.  Our goal is to create an environment where he feels safe, supported, and free to explore interests and talents that enrich his life.  My goal, as your Ward 5 voice, is to ensure that same experience for all children! I believe all children deserve a quality public education.  Families entrust the education of their children to our school system, making us, not policy makers, the biggest investors in that system.  As such, parents should be intentionally and meaningfully engaged in all aspects of education.    I believe in early literacy.  We know that when young children read with their families and are engaged in literacy practices, there are positive academic and social outcomes.  Our son was a late talker and didn’t start to speak until he was about 3 years old.  We were thankful to find resources like DC Strong Start, that helped and encouraged our family.  We learned so much during that time, and now our son is speaking and is a strong reader! I know there are families that will experience similar situations and I will be your advocate.  Over my 20+ year career as a finance professional, I have created and preserved affordable housing in the District.   I have developed and implemented homeownership and foreclosure prevention programs and am currently a member of the DC Historic Preservation Review Board.  There is intersectionality between housing and education, and I bring specific expertise that equips me to ensure comprehensive solutions that improve our systems.

Mayoral Candidate -- Independent
https://www.rhondahamilton4dcmayor.com/

I am Mayoral Candidate Rhonda Hamilton, a proud Washingtonian, small business owner, daughter of the military, daughter of schizophrenia, and lover of my dear city, DC.  Yes, I am an Independent, but most importantly I am a humanitarian.  As the next Mayor of the District of Columbia my priorities are directly aligned with that of being a true advocate for the people.  I am gravely concerned with the enormous amount of challenges that we currently face as a city failing in the areas of wealth disparity, and economic matters involving our youth and families of poorer means.  Additionally, matters of mental health, homelessness, lack of proper governmental oversight, accountability, policy enforcements, education, public safety, affordable housing, as well as the existing healthcare inequities are at the forefront of my intentions to "overhaul" the "overall" District programs and systems that are not working for far too many Washingtonians. As a woman and descendant of the "civil rights" movement I am aware of the importance of always helping to advocate for democracy by raising my voice, taking a stand against injustices, and for ensuring that matters of humanity remain impartial to "party" lines, and political processes that would intentionally disavow citizens of any particular class, race, ethnicity, or gender to the rights afforded us all by the constitution. My policies will pay specific focus to ensuring that all Washingtonians have access to the economic growth of our city, while maintaining available access for all DC citizens to resources and programming that will also include matters of equal pay, enhanced childcare, maternity, family, and paid leave realities. I agree that "when women vote, women win!"  I also agree that as nurturers and guardians of our families, and communities, "our city wins", when we are proactive at protecting the presence of abuse, misuse, and the lack of care for those that are the least among us.  I am proud to represent the presence of "forward thinking", accountable leadership that seeks to invite the many disengaged Washingtonians back to the table to help steer our dear city in the direction of its true potential for "greatness". I appreciate the opportunity to possibly be included in your upcoming forum to discuss in further detail my campaign platform, and eagerness to move our city forward.

Mayoral Candidate - Republican
https://staciahall.com/

Mayoral Candidate -- Democrat
https://www.murielourmayor.com/

At-Large Member of the DC Council Candidate -- Independent
https://elissafordc.com/

Elissa Silverman has focused her career on making the District and its government accountable, responsive, and accessible to residents through her work as a reporter, a budget analyst, and an elected official. For the last eight years, she’s put those skills to work as an at-large member of the D.C. Council. As chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, Elissa knows that women are the backbone of our economy. That’s why Elissa co-authored D.C.’s paid family leave law, which gives women (and men) the time they need to take care of their family members and themselves without financial catastrophe. She has overseen the program’s implementation, which was delivered on time and under budget in the middle of the pandemic. Elissa has also been a very active member of the Council’s housing committee, writing and funding legislation that has repaired public housing and increased money for subsidies to help working families and those experiencing homelessness have safe housing. She also worked with the city’s Housing Finance Agency to put an innovative program in place to help seniors stay in their homes. What sets Elissa apart on the Council is her focus on accountability. Elissa knows that women in D.C. work hard to support themselves and their families, and the D.C. government should work just as hard providing city services. Elissa grew up in Baltimore and attended public schools. She graduated from Brown University with a concentration in economics and history. Her studies at Brown sparked a lifelong interest in urban policy and shaped her thinking on key issues such as equity, race, poverty, and economic development. Elissa is a Ward 6 resident and owns a home in Capitol Hill near H Street NE. She is a longtime cyclist, a recreational tennis player, and an occasional cook.

June 26, 2022

Washington, DC -- DC Women in Politics strongly condemns the decision rendered by the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade thus denying women the right to make decisions about their own bodies and their lives. The government has no business intervening between an individual and their doctor in that decision-making process.

The DC Women in Politics supports the right of every human being to make personal decisions about their health care; which includes the right to safe, affordable, accessible abortions and reproductive care. We support efforts to make Washington, DC a sanctuary city for abortion access and reproductive rights in general. We will fight tirelessly to protect those rights for our generation, and generations to come, and we will continue to fight for Statehood for the District of Columbia.

As DC Women in Politics, our role is to support and uplift leaders who seek to protect this right and fight back against the elected officials who do not. As disheartening as today’s ruling is, we must harness the power of this moment and take our anger to the polls come November.

Pew Research Center’s most recent survey shows 61% of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal all or most of the time, while 37% say it should be illegal all or most of the time. Despite widescale support among Americans for abortion access, at least half of the 50 states are certain or likely to ban abortion now that Roe has been overturned. While the District of Columbia has been a safe haven for those seeking abortions, our lack of statehood continues to put us in a perilous position. A Republican-controlled Congress could always disregard our laws and put our laws that protect access to abortion in jeopardy.

The assurances of Chief Justice Roberts to all women must be overlooked when he asserts that this decision is 'only' about Roe. The Court’s majority decision disregards decades of judicial precedent. In fact, three Justices have clearly demonstrated that their words are built on beds of quicksand based on their flip flops on this issue. Justice Thomas made it clear by his inference to other laws in the decision he wrote that the high court could conceivably insert themselves further into our lives and freedoms by considering, and possibly reversing, other rights hard won by women and the American people.

This decision has far-reaching impacts beyond abortion rights. Laws protecting contraception, same-sex marriages and relationships, and access to contraception may now be in peril. As dissenting Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan so eloquently stated, “Whatever the exact scope of the coming laws, one result of today’s decision is certain: the curtailment of women’s rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens.”

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, “This is only the beginning of the extreme Republican agenda to take away our freedoms. We will march and protest this decision by the thousands. We will fight to control our bodies no matter how much they try to stop us. We will not stop until we have our rights back and if they think we will be intimidated, they are wrong.”

This is a call for DC women to stand and take a position about how much we are willing to cede our rights to people who have little in common with most Americans who must struggle and sacrifice for economic and gender-based parity in this country. VOTE IN NOVEMBER and reach out to others to help them see that the upcoming elections will affect their very lives.

Actions to take

1. Volunteer to participate in DC Women in Politics’ newly forming Women’s Reproductive Rights Protection Initiative (DCWIP-WRRPI) Committee. Click here to sign-up.
2. Click here to make a donation to support the work of the Women’s Reproductive Rights Protection Initiative (WRRPI) that will provide support to individuals, organizations, and allies with the goal of ensuring access to abortion and related services to all who need them.