Empowered Women Empower Women

By: Katie Zimmermann

Jennifer Konfrst. Mary Mascher. Mary Gaskill.

This Monday I shadowed journalism students at the Iowa state capitol who were interviewing Jennifer Konfrst, an Iowan state representative and journalism professor at Drake University. I was excited to meet a female representative but could not fathom how impactful it would be to me.

After the journalists conducted their interview, I was able to ask her a question: “What is your advice for young women who want to enter politics and maybe run for office one day?” Her answer was simple: “Just go for it.” She went on to discuss the importance of having accurate representation of constituents in politics. Iowa’s House of Representatives’ Democratic Caucus is nearly half women, which Konfrst explained has enabled them to pursue issues that particularly impact women and have historically have not been addressed.

The next night I attended the Democratic Debate and sat next to Iowa state representatives Mary Mascher and Mary Gaskill. They both expressed similar sentiments to Konfrst regarding women running for office. 

I cannot adequately put into words how I felt when speaking with these three female representatives. I realized that it was my first time having an in depth conversations with women who hold positions of power. This, in turn, made me feel powerful because I could see myself in them. I am studying political science and policy studies and, to be candid, am unsure of what I plan to pursue after I graduate. However, my discussions assured me that if I do run for office, there is nothing stopping me. These women have run for office and succeeded and there is no reason that I cannot do the same.