Bondi Wood is a Boone County Democratic Central Committee Member and a candidate for Presiding Commissioner. I talked to her about the subject of her next public appearance, “Pearls and Politics; Why are there still so few women in politics today?” which is tomorrow, March 3 at Memorial Union S203 starting at 7pm.
Boone County Dems (BCD): Would you give our readers a little bit more background on what this forum will be discussing and your role in it?
Bondi Wood (BW): In 2004, Brown University conducted a study of why women don’t enter political races. My 20-plus years experience helping with county ballot issues and candidate races will provide a local perspective.
BCD: Why don’t women enter as candidates more often?
BW: In the Brown study, a lack of confidence and insufficient encouragement from others were the two main reasons women cited. For young women, the most cited reason for not running for office is family commitment. Indeed, my commitment to my family and my family business prevented me from running for office until this campaign cycle.
BCD: But Boone County is a little bit better, right?
BW: Fortunately, Boone County is home to several strong women office holders, but nationally the number of women in office is still dismal. One reason is that women typically run for local offices rather than state or national offices. In fact, a school board seat is the most common office sought by women.
BCD: Do women face additional hurdles men candidates would never think were issues?
BW: Women still trail men in fundraising, and there are also more subtle reasons women don’t run for or stay in office. And how are those subtleties magnified for minority women? That’s why I’m involved in this forum, to talk about these issues, at a non-threatening opportunity to hear diverse views in a face-to-face venue. Let’s see what we can do to get more women seeking office beyond the local level of government.
BCD: I think we can all agree to that. Thanks for your time, Bondi.
You can find out more about Bondi and her campaign at her website and for more information on the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative, see our events page.



