Wasington, DC -- The celebratory pins read: "A woman's place is in the House." And the new House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has been blunt: It takes a woman to clean it up. But will her broom sweep the way clear for new legislation and opportunities for women?

"For all the girls out there who envision themselves growing up and aspiring to a better life, there is significance to having a woman" as speaker, said Ellen Moran, executive director of EMILY'S List.

There are now 90 women in the new Congress, or about 16 percent, a record. Seventy-four are in the House and 16 in the Senate. That's an increase of eight since the 109th Congress, which had 82 women.

Additionally, there are more than a few "firsts" in other leadership positions aside from speaker, a change some analysts say could mean more practical legislation on issues that affect women and families, particularly health care, education and the boost in the minimum wage.

Michele Swers, a political science professor at Georgetown University, said the numbers, though scant, were significant because increased diversity brings new issues to the table "that many other people haven't prioritized."

Worth Watching

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. A heavy hitter with the Pelosi clique and supporters of women's and abortion rights, Wasserman Schultz is a senior whip and sits on the Judiciary Committee. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. Part of Pelosi's inner circle, DeLauro sits on the Appropriations Committee and co-chairs the Democratic Steering Committee. "She's been hot for a long time," said one political strategist, referring to her clout. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. An early opponent of the war in Iraq, Lee is off the charts on the "I told you so!" meter. She's co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and sits on the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas "All women don't all see the same," Granger says, perhaps as a precursor of squabbles to come. Vanity Fair named her one of "the rising Republicans," notably the only woman. She helped form the Anti-Terror Caucus with Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., and two Democrats, serves as a deputy minority House whip and sits on the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif. Passed over for the top spot on the House Intelligence Committee, Harmon doesn't always make nice with Pelosi, but this Blue Dog's knowledge of foreign issues keeps her in the fight. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. The first woman to chair the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Boxer plans to highlight global warming with a series of hearings and legislation.

Among the new female leaders: Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Rules Committee, and her counterpart in the Senate, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Small Business Committee; and Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., co-chairman of the House Democratic Steering Committee.

"I believe the public says that they trust women to really cut to the chase and get the job done," said Slaughter, who added that when she first ran for Congress in 1986 women had to "work five times as hard."

"I don't think we're moving there fast enough," said Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, though she emphasized that women are moving in the right direction.

And while every female legislator isn't a household name like Hillary Rodham Clinton or Nancy Pelosi, many of the women in Congress are well on their way.

"There are a lot of new younger women who have just gotten elected who I also think represent a new direction," said Moran of EMILY'S List, which supports candidates who back abortion rights.

Still, Swers at Georgetown said she expects abortion and the controversial array of issues around it would be lower on the agenda for new majority.

"They think that social issues are what got Republicans into trouble," she said.

Emphasizing the cracking of what Pelosi calls "the marble ceiling," the new speaker appears determined to bring more diversity to the table, including the women of her "inner circle," such as Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.

But Wasserman Schultz, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, cautioned that the champagne should not be popped just yet.

"At the end of the day, we are still only 16 percent of the Congress," she said, suggesting that the minimum wage would have been raised long ago had there been more female lawmakers.

A main obstacle to the Hill -- and most workplaces, for that matter -- is the lack of "family friendly" environment, forcing mothers to "choose between being a good employee and being a good parent," said Wasserman Schultz, the mother of two small children. And she plans to sponsor legislation to address the issue.

"I've always said that being a mother is really what does it. That's the perfect test for any legislator," Slaughter said. Raising children and managing a household translate into good legislative skills, she said, such as budgeting.

"And we keep the peace," she added. "We don't allow one member to beat up one another."