Women in the United States House of Representatives

The first woman in the House, Jeannette Rankin, was elected in 1916 from Montana, four years before the Nineteenth Amendment guaranteed women's suffrage nationwide. Rankin, a pacifist, voted against U.S. entry into World War I and later served again in 1940, casting the sole vote against entering World War II. The first Black woman, Shirley Chisholm, was elected in 1968 from New York; she later ran for president in 1972. The first Hispanic woman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, won a 1989 special election in Florida, and the first Asian American women, Patsy Mink and Spark Matsunaga (though Matsunaga was male), were elected in 1964—Mink from Hawaii became the first woman of color in the House. In 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House, a position she held twice, and in 2023 she became the first woman to lead a major party in the House for a second time.

Women's representation in the House has grown steadily but unevenly. From 1917 to 1970, fewer than 10 women served at any one time. The number surpassed 100 only in 2019, after the 2018 midterm elections, when a record 102 women were elected. Women of color have driven much of the recent growth: in the 118th Congress, 51 women of color serve, including the first Native American women, Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland (elected 2018), and the first Muslim women, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar (also 2018). However, women remain underrepresented relative to their share of the U.S. population (about 51%), and the pace of increase has slowed in recent cycles. Party differences are stark: Democratic women outnumber Republican women roughly three to one, a gap that has widened since the 1990s.

Women in the House have influenced policy across a broad range of issues, often prioritizing healthcare, education, and family leave. The Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, founded in 1977, has been a bipartisan forum for advancing women's rights legislation. Women have also broken leadership barriers: Nancy Pelosi's speakership (2007–2011, 2019–2023) was historic, and in 2023, Hakeem Jeffries became the first Black party leader, but women have yet to lead either party in the House as floor leaders. Women chair key committees, such as Maxine Waters (Financial Services) and Nita Lowey (Appropriations). Studies show that female legislators introduce more bills related to women's health and family policy, and they are more likely to collaborate across party lines.

Beyond the headline milestones, many lesser-known facts enrich the story. Jeannette Rankin's 1917 entry was not only a first for women but also for a state that had granted women suffrage in 1914. The first woman to succeed her husband was Mae Ella Nolan (California, 1923), beginning a pattern of widow's succession that persisted for decades. In 1932, Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman elected to the Senate, but the House saw its first woman elected without a husband's prior service in 1938 (Elizabeth Hawley Gasque, though she was a widow). The first woman to chair a major committee was Edith Nourse Rogers (Veterans' Affairs, 1947). In 1977, the first women's rights caucus was founded, and in 1992, the 'Year of the Woman' saw a record 24 new women elected. More recently, in 2018, the first openly bisexual woman (Katie Hill) and the first Native American women were elected. Women have also served as delegates from territories, such as Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia, since 1991).

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, third in line for the presidency.

Widow's succession

A practice where a woman is elected to fill a seat vacated by her deceased husband.

Delegate

A non-voting member of the House representing a U.S. territory or the District of Columbia.