Hoosier women care more about issues than political parties

“Over the past three election cycles, we learned that party-driven politics does not appeal to young Hoosiers, that women and other activists are more concerned about candidates’ commitments to advancing specific issues than their party affiliation.” That was how Deb Chubb, Executive Director of Indiana Women’s Action Movement (IWAM), summarized the last five years’ effort to recruit and elect women to the Indiana legislature.

On Saturday, April 15th, the organization brought together politically engaged women – elected officials, candidates, and political leaders — to strategize about the 2024 State Legislative election at the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis.

Deb Chubb shared the many lessons learned from her work with 48 women candidates who ran for the Indiana House and Senate over the past three election cycles. “We need to support more women running on the issue of protecting women’s reproductive rights, but also equal pay for equal work, high-quality affordable childcare, the epidemic of sexual and intimate partner violence against women and girls and preserving the planet for our children and grandchildren,” she said.

The keynote speaker, Christina Hale, former State Representative, Lt. Governor Candidate, and US Congressional District 5 candidate, talked about the importance of public policy in women’s lives. As a teen mother, she relied on grant-funded subsidies to access high-quality, reliable childcare so she could complete her college degree. She shared parts of her recent book, entitled, Why Not You, which relates her own journey from teen mother to State Legislator.

IWAM plans to mentor younger women activists, convene a September Strategy Session to develop a Hoosier Women’s Policy Agenda, and recruit and support women candidates for the Indiana Legislature.

The guests departed the gathering wearing buttons reading, “Run, Women, Run!”.