Marlene Phillips, director of the Center for Women in Government, said the institute is a part of what originally began as a strong focus on women entrepreneurs at TWU in 2015.
“Texas is so pro-business that it was very natural and organic that Texas Woman's University created a strong focus and a center and a staff to support women entrepreneurs,” Phillips said.
Today, the institute has grown to encompass three main pillars: student leadership, entrepreneurship and public service. The Center for Women in Government is a program of the institute and supports women living in Texas who desire to lead and serve in government or public policy roles.
The center seeks to educate, empower and engage women through a variety of opportunities available to college-age students as well as those who are past college.
Women’s campaign school
One of these tangible opportunities for women in Texas includes a partnership with the University of Texas’ LBJ School of Public Affairs. The school has a noncredit women’s campaign school, and Phillips said the institute individually funds women from Texas to attend that school. Over the lifetime of the program, the institute has provided funding for 145 women, which make up 60% of the graduates of the LBJ Women’s Campaign School.
“All of [the women] who have gone through the program talk about how valuable that school was to them,” Phillips said. “In terms of not only educating them about the campaign process and running for office, but also helping them in their communication skills and helping them network with other women.”
Public Leadership Education Network seminars
Women also have the opportunity to attend Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) seminars. The PLEN organization was founded by Frances Tarlton "Sissy" Farenthold, a Texas woman who worked as an activist, politician, educator and attorney.
“[Sissy] said women needed the opportunity to get together as one to learn about how public policy is made, who influences public policy and how you can push public policy through the legislative process,” Phillips said.
She created PLEN to accomplish these goals and the Jane Nelson Institute is a member of the organization. The program is open to any college-aged woman across the state of Texas, and the institute will fund women’s attendance to the program in Washington, D.C.
Legislative internships and congressional fellowships
For TWU students, the Center for Women in Government offers paid congressional legislative internship opportunities in Washington, D.C. for the spring and summer semesters.
The center provides funding for the program as well as a living stipend for attendees. Because the Texas Legislature meets every other year, legislative internships are offered in Austin during the spring of odd-numbered years to coincide with Texas’s biennial legislative session.
Educational programming
In addition to large-scale opportunities, the center also offers an online post-baccalaureate certificate in women in politics, research projects and an array of educational programming sessions. To be more accessible, these sessions are often virtual so women can participate regardless of their location.
The programs include:
- Back to Basics: A civic education program designed to provide background information from an expert on political concept, position or current events.
- Spotlight on (Legislation): A civic education program designed to provide information on current legislative developments that affect women in Texas. Sessions last 25 minutes and focus on an expert explaining the background, details and effects of the legislation on women.
- Unpacking (Court Decision): A civic education program designed to provide information on current court decisions that affect women in Texas. Sessions last 25 minutes and focus on one to two experts explaining the legal facts of the court decision and the effects of the case on future policy and women.
- emBOLDenHER: A networking and professional development brunch for women in public service. Each event explores topics for personal development leading to professional growth specifically for women in North Texas.
- Pioneering Politics: Engage with guest speakers on subjects relevant to women in public office. These topics touch on campaigns, service, challenges and more.
- Elect Her: A one-day workshop to learn how to run for student government and political office. The workshop is planned in collaboration with Running Start, drawing on Running Start’s curriculum and typical structure.
Sue S. Bancroft Women’s Leadership Hall exhibit
The institute also welcomes visitors to its Sue S. Bancroft Women’s Leadership Hall, a digital interactive gallery featuring inspirational women from Texas. The 3,500 square-foot gallery is open to the public Mon.-Fri. from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and features an exhibit on suffragist Minnie Fisher Cunningham as well as 13 pioneering women from Texas, including Barbara Jordan, Ann Richards, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Kay Granger.
Phillips said the best way to stay up to date on the latest events and opportunities is by signing up to receive the center’s emails. The center has never emailed more than three times a month, so individuals’ inboxes won’t be clogged with an excess of emails. Women can also stay engaged on the center’s social media, including Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
Want to learn more about the Center for Women in Government’s range of opportunities for women in Texas? Visit the website at twu.edu/cwg.
The above story was produced by Senior Multi Platform Journalist Summer El-Shahawy with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of its "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
