Embassy of the United States Ottawa, Canada

Jennifer Lawless, Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University in Washington, D.C., speaks at the Equal Voice Leadership Summit.

On March 11th, Jennifer Lawless, PhD, a professor and the Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University in Washington, D.C., spoke at the Equal Voice Leadership Summit sponsored by Carleton University's American Studies Centre in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy Ottawa. Her talk addressed the gender dynamics that pervade North American politics and that deeply affect the beliefs and perceptions of women politicians. Lawless is an expert in women candidates running for office, and has firsthand experience: in 2006, she sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in Rhode Island's second congressional district. Although she lost the race, she is still very active in politics, most recently joining the national board of Emerge America. Lawless is co-author of "It Still Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office".