The Ins and Outs of The White House Project

  The White House Project, a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization, aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency. By filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women, they make American institutions, businesses and government truly representative. Through multi-platform programs, The White House Project creates a culture where America’s most valuable untapped resource, women, can succeed in all realms.
 
  To advance this mission, The White House Project strives to support women and the issues that allow women to lead in their own lives and in the world. When women leaders bring their voices, vision and leadership to the table alongside men, the debate is more robust and the policy is more inclusive and sustainable. By supporting women and the values that allow women to succeed, the full range of health options, security platforms that utilize all our resources, economic stability for all.  They work to create an equitable culture.

   I think that The White House Project is doing an outstanding job in giving woman the tools to run for government.  The vast amounts of trainings they do around the country give woman the information and courage to run for elected offices. 

White House Project Progress

   Volunteering my time for woman and politics, I didn't know what to really expect.  I thought I would be dealing with very strong opinionated woman who act like their the Queen of England.  That for someone like me, who doesn't have a lot of exposure or time in this kind of field, would struggle to maintain a good working relationship with.  Instead I meet very respectful, very knowledgeable woman who would like to just have an equal say at the table and show the public why they should be given the job for what there running for.  The other side of it too is the woman who are just trying to learn about how to get into politics or be more of an active member are very low key people who aren't trying to push their views onto you, but learn how to support them in the political world.
 
  I think a lot of these assumptions I was making were from the media and I hate to say it, but just being a guy.  Being from the opposite sex I never looked at it from a woman's point of view.  If a woman was strong willed or opinionated then often it was code for uppity, and unladylike, and most of all, threatening because you don’t seem to be agreeing with men like you’re supposed too.  That shouldn't be the case, but a lot of times it is.  Doing this service learning has really helped me look at it from the other side and become more aware of what I wasn't noticing.

Women's and Men's movements

  Women's right to vote, also known as passive right to vote, is probably the main feminist movement I relate too.  Passive right to vote gives women the opportunity to run for office.  More recently I have learned a lot about the history and hardships it took for woman to gain this right through my service learning at the White House Project.  The Colorado program director, Katie, has given me some in site as well as their very informative website about how woman can run for office, but the opposition these woman face in running.  Facts like out of over 180 countries, only 27 have elected women presidents, and only 25 have appointed women prime ministers. This is a major impact for me as much as it should be for everybody else.  Not everyone is getting there opportunity to show what they can do.  This is a main reason why I am happy to help a program, like the White House Project, help get women involved and even run for office.
  The issue of men being domestically abused has only been around for a little while. For ever it was believed that woman could not abuse men because of our masculinity.  Now a days it is shown, and on the rise, that men are being abused and coming forward at a higher rate then ever before. The movement to me makes people understand that both sexes can become victims of domestic violence. It means that I am treated as an equal and not always the aggressor.  It means that if my spouse is abusing me then I can get help and support instead of having to just put up with it. That is why I identify the most with this.

The White House Project

  I talked with my contact today, Katie Groke,  at the White House Project.  I am excited to start volunteering for her and the program. She is very enthusiastic about what she does and she portrays that to everyone she comes into contact with.  It sounds like I should make some great connections and learn more about an area I really don't have much knowledge in. 
  Especially at this point in history we have a very good chance of electing a women as President.  Hillary Clinton has really shown in the last couple of years that woman are close and that a lot of society is read to have a woman for President.  It really makes me feel proud to get a chance to help out this organization and help woman get more involved in politics and government.

Interactions

  One summer, when I was about four, my dad decided to build a deck from our house to our new hot tub.  It took him half the summer to build. I watch as over and over my mom asked if she could help or do anything.  He always refused politly and said to her to relax and enjoy her day off.  From that memory on, my dad has done all remodels and fix ups by himself.  Never excepting help from my mom and always telling her to relax and he would handle everything.  As that was always being portrayed to me, I do the same thing now. I like to do house hold projects myself. It's my job to fix things as a male and I will get them done.  My other reasoning is, then the project comes out just the way I wanted it to be.
  The most recent interaction with someone who communicated expectations for my gender would my buddy Chris and his girlfriend going out on a date.  He picks her up, pays for all the events in the evening and doesn't ask for anything in return.  I was talking to him about it one day and he basically said that the reason he does it is because that is how he was raised.  You do all these thing because you are the guy and its the chivalrous thing to do.