Female legislators discuss leadership
 

LBJ School Professor Victoria Rodríguez (left) confers with Texas Representatives Sherri Greenberg and Senfronia Thompson.

photo by María de la Luz Martínez

Women legislators shared their views on leadership and public policy at a forum held at the LBJ School during the fall. The event, called "Capitol Women Setting Policy," focused on the roles and contributions of women.

Women who chair committees of the historically male Texas Legislature led a keynote panel that discussed the way female policymakers have influenced policy and the political process. Chaired by LBJ School Professor Victoria Rodríguez, the panel was the first UT Austin gathering of its kind.

Texas State Representatives Dawnna Dukes, Patricia Gray, Sherri Greenberg, Irma Rangel, and Senfronia Thompson made up the panel. The legislators shared their visions of the future roles of Texas women and their work to design policies that improve women's lives.

Authors Ruthe Winegarten and Nancy Baker Jones also participated in the forum, sharing findings from their recent book on female legislators' effect on Texas state government.

During the afternoon, UT faculty and Austin community leaders led discussions on such topics as crimes against women, privacy and the Internet, and the marketing of women's bodies. The need for more female representation in policies dealing with issues related to women--such as abortion, pregnancy, and contraception--was also discussed.

The forum was sponsored by the LBJ School and the UT Austin Center for Women's Studies as part of an annual series on women, leadership, and policy. The lecture series is a collaborative effort involving 13 university schools and colleges.

Comments to lbjwmast@uts.cc.utexas.edu