Truman School of Government and Public Affairs

While women represent about half of Missouri’s population, the government charged with representing their interests does not reflect this.  Engaging women in government is not only important in legislatures.  The work of local and state boards and commissions also affects women.  However, gender parity in these bodies remains a problem.  The Women’s Foundation has created the Appointments Project to address this challenge.  By helping women apply and submitting them as candidates to state and local boards, the Women’s Foundation hopes to appoint more women and, in turn, ensure their voices are heard across Missouri.

The Institute of Public Policy was contracted by the Women’s Foundation to produce a policy brief illustrating best practices for governing boards and commissions, related to the Women’s Foundation Appointments Project. 

Impact  

The goal of this project is to improve the experiences of women serving on boards and commissions.  The final report will include information that is helpful to organizations looking to engage women in leadership.  Concepts from this report could be built into organizational operating policies and procedures and personnel policies.  Increasing the participation of women to boards and commissions throughout the state will increase representation and an environment that fosters diversity and inclusion.