Professional Development

Another thought that occurs to me after Reading Pearls Politics and Power is that one reason more women do not run for elected office might be the lack of professional development. I know Kunin writes about trainings for women interested in running for elected office but there seems to be little professional development for women in their current political/government jobs. I can say from my experience that I never received feedback from my superiors about my job performance (even when I asked) and most of my mentors came from outside of my office and outside of my field. It seems that most of the people I came across in politics/government only focus on the here and now rather than what is next. I think if women in high-powered political/government positions took the time to establish a mentoring or professional development program then more women might choose to run. Furthermore, these programs would establish a support network for women and a way for women to receive encouragement and advice for women already in the field. I think the trainings Kunin discusses are a good start but they are not enough to keep women engaged and feeling supported.