Women Representing Women\u27s Interests in Congress

Do congresswomen try to represent women\u27s interests in Congress? Are congresswomen more likely than congressmen to sponsor bills dealing with women\u27s issues? In the past, research has shown that women do seem to sponsor more legislation than men that deals directly with women. Research has also shown that women legislators feel that they are responsible for representing the interests of all women. This research looks at bill sponsorship in the U.S. House of Representatives during the 106th and 107th Congresses. The data from these two Congresses show that women do sponsor more women\u27s issue legislation than men do. They also sponsor more gender gap issue legislation than do men. This research supports previous findings that women in Congress are more likely than men to sponsor women\u27s issue legislation