Inquirer Editorial: Ferraro's road unfinished

Women have made gains in elected office since Geraldine Ferraro's trailblazing moment in 1984, but not enough progress.

Ferraro, who died Saturday at age 75 from cancer complications, was the first woman nominated by a major political party for vice president. The Democrat's breakthrough encouraged women to that believe anything was possible.

Ferraro will be remembered for her toughness and political skill in that campaign. At the time of Ferraro's nomination, many people thought a woman would soon get elected president. But more than a quarter-century later, the nation still hasn't elected its first female head of state.

It wasn't until 2008 that another woman was chosen by a major party - the GOP nominated Sarah Palin for vice president. Hillary Clinton came close to winning the Democratic nomination for president that year but lost to Barack Obama.

The gains by women in Congress and in statehouses since 1984 have been steady, but slow. Our political institutions still show signs of being an old boys' club.

For example, New Jersey hasn't had a female representative in Congress since 2005. Pennsylvania has only one woman in Congress - Democratic Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz of Philadelphia.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania have yet to elect a woman to the U.S. Senate. Pennsylvania has never elected a woman governor.

Philadelphia has never elected a woman as mayor. Anna C. Verna in 1999 became the first woman in the city's 300-year history to become president of City Council.

Women have gained representation in Washington. In 1984, there were only 24 women in Congress, or 4 percent of the 535 seats. This year, women hold 88 seats in the House and Senate, or 16.4 percent.

Women also have made progress in Harrisburg and Trenton. In 1984, only 4 percent of Pennsylvania's General Assembly was female. Today, 16.6 percent of the legislature are women.

In New Jersey in 1984, 9 percent of state legislators were women. Today, it's 28 percent.

Political parties need to do a better job recruiting female candidates. Studies suggest party officials (mostly men) don't encourage women to run often enough.

And women themselves need to step forward in greater numbers. When they do, there doesn't appear to be a difference in their success at fund-raising or winning elections.

Geraldine Ferraro made history by overcoming a big-ticket barrier, but significant hurdles remain for women considering a career in public service.