ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the barriers that women face in seeking elected office and the steps our organizations are taking to combat the issues. In the past five years IGNITE has trained more than 6,000 young women in high schools and colleges across the United States to declare their political ambition and run for office. Collectively, Running Start and IGNITE have provided political leadership training to thousands of high school and college women across the country and we have seen the barriers these women face firsthand. The chapter identifies the barriers holding them back and helps them tackle them head-on. It is worth noting that in parts of the world, the barriers to women's political leadership are external: fear of retribution, legal impediments, and safety issues. In United States, the barriers are internal: self-doubt, insecurity, fear of scrutiny. While one might be tempted to think that internal fears are easily overcome, to the contrary, these barriers represent a palpable and stubborn problem.
