Michigan Senate includes more women than ever before, fight for equality is far from over
Women’s Equality Day — observed on August 26 each year — commemorates the long-standing struggle for women’s rights in the United States of America. Beginning in the mid-19th Century, the suffrage movement inspired the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and led to the eventual passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 and the subsequent enactment of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, guaranteeing all women the right to vote.
Over the years, Michigan has also made marked progress in achieving more representation from women in the political arena. Three remarkable individuals stand out historically: Cora Reynolds Anderson, Connie Binsfeld and Eva McCall Hamilton.
Also making history, this year Sen. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) was chosen as the first woman to ever hold the position of Senate Majority Leader, and the first woman to lead a Majority caucus in either chamber of the Michigan Legislature.
“Every single day, I look out from my office window in the State Capitol, and I can’t help but think of the trailblazing women, like Eva McCall Hamilton, who worked tirelessly to take up space in the world,” said Brinks. “Their sacrifices and determination inspire me daily.”
Cora Reynolds Anderson (top left) holds the distinction of being the first woman and Native American woman elected to the Michigan House of Representatives. Connie Binsfeld (bottom left) is renowned as Michigan’s 60th lieutenant governor who broke barriers by becoming the first woman to hold leadership positions in both the executive and legislative branches of state government (both these women’s contributions are evident in downtown Lansing, where the House and Senate office buildings bear their names). Eva McCall Hamilton (top right) made history in 1920 as the first woman elected to the Michigan Legislature and, for nearly a century, served as the first and only female representative for Grand Rapids. That was until 2012, when Sen. Winnie Brinks (bottom right) was elected. Click here to learn more about other prolific women in Michigan state politics.
Alongside Brinks, women legislators such as Sens. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) are leading the way to dismantle outdated systems and promote diversity within the Michigan Legislature.
All these women hold historic leadership titles in the Michigan Legislature: Sen. Anthony is the first Black woman to lead the Senate Appropriations Committee; Sen. Geiss is the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus Chair and one of the longest serving Black legislators in state history; and Sen. Chang is the first Asian American woman to serve in the Michigan Legislature and the first woman to give birth while serving as a Michigan State Senator.
Additionally, women legislative staffers also play a critical role in solving policy issues, often without much public recognition. In the not-so-distant past, women staffers were limited to secretarial positions in the Michigan Legislature, but that has largely changed due to increased female representation in political leadership.
“I am truly humbled to serve in this way; it is the honor of a lifetime,” said Kathleen Farhat, Chief of Staff for Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. “Mainly, because I have seen firsthand how women have been underrepresented in politics, and how it impacted the legislative process. Now, as a woman in a leadership role, I am determined to change things for the better.”
“In my 30-plus years of working for the Senate Democrats, I have witnessed the struggles and triumphs of women in politics. I am so proud of where the Michigan Legislature is at, and where we’re headed. Our work in government and policy, especially as women, is vital and needed,” added Leader Brinks’ Deputy Chief of Staff Nancy Green.
“As a senior staff member, mother of two and oldest daughter in my family, I look forward to when women in leadership becomes the norm everywhere — and for the inclusion of even more diverse voices in these spaces,” said Majority Legislative Director Brianna Egan.
Given that Democrats are in the majority — in the House, Senate and the Executive Office of the Governor — for the first time in 40 years, there are great changes that lie ahead. With our Senate Democratic Majority being the first-ever female majority led Caucus, women will be driving these changes and actively offering their input every step of the way.
The influence of women in state government is profound and extensive. However, the fight for gender equality does not begin and end on one specific day of the year. Women’s Equality Day stands as an ever-pressing, urgent call to action, and our Senate Democratic Majority will continue to push for more opportunities for all women to thrive.
Read more from the Michigan Senate Democrats at SenateDems.com/press.