Jackson Free Press

The progressive group Women For Progress held their bi-annual meeting at the Old Capitol Inn Friday, and the guest list looked like a who's who of women running for municipal office in Jackson. Most notably, mayoral candidate Regina Quinn and city council candidates June Hardwick (Ward 7) and Fran Bridges (Ward 5) were in attendance.

What stole the show, however, were the startling numbers that the group is trying to combat. Among other problems highlighted, women hold just 17 percent of seats in the U.S. Congress, 23 percent of seats in state legislatures in the U.S. are held by females, and just six out of 50 states have female governors.

Add all that up, and the United States ranks 87th in the world when it comes to the number of women serving in its national legislative body.

The answer, according to the group, is to encourage more women to run for office. Thus the title of Friday's meeting: "She Should Run."

To learn more about Women For Progress, check out their web site http://womenforprogress.net/home.html">here.