Yet again, men are deciding to hurt women, This time, it’s how they engage in Oklahoma politics.

State officials convene for a budget summit on Thursday. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice)

Oklahoma’s Legislature and political culture remains a boy’s club.

Nothing illustrates that more clearly than the makeup of the people invited to participate in the governor’s historic “Budget Summit” last week. Of the roughly dozen participants permitted to sit at the “adult table” last week to decide how billions of dollars would be allocated, only one was a woman. 

A member of the House appropriations staff, the woman was, of course, seated at the far end of the table and not asked publicly for her opinion. 

Gov. Kevin Stitt chose three men from his staff to attend the convening. They sat with him near the head of the table. The Republican Senate’s side was lined with all men. 

Meanwhile, two influential women — Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd and Democrat Sen. Julia Kirt — were noticeably relegated to the audience.

It’s meetings like that that make me feel like women still have a ways to go when it comes to having the power and influence to shape key public policy discussions in our state.

It’s also one reason why it’s so unfortunate that Stitt has decided the National Education for Women’s Leadership program isn’t worth keeping. It’s a popular University of Oklahoma program that for over 20 years has worked with over 650 women — of all political backgrounds — to help them engage in public service and politics.

Many participants have gone on to serve in various leadership capacities with local, county, state, federal and tribal governments.

The program announced it was shuttering due to an executive order Stitt issued in December that prevents state entities from spending money on programs “to the extent they grant preferential treatment based on one person’s particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another’s.”

Stitt said it was “completely false” that his order caused the closure. He said he wants more women in politics.

“I want to make sure that we promote first-generation college students, veterans, kids from low income,” he said in response to news of the closure. “All I said is don’t make it based on race.”

He, of course, blamed a woman — Floyd — for the situation. He said she was trying to confuse voters.

Among other things, Floyd had said the program’s end was a “terrible loss.” 

“Women bring perspectives and ideas to the table that would otherwise not be heard, something we need more of, not less, in government,” she said.

It’s not Floyd who is trying to confuse voters. 

I think it’s safe to say that Stitt’s executive order will likely deal a death blow to a multitude of programs over the coming days that serve all sorts of Oklahomans.

But I guess that’s what happens when a governor tries to use a sledgehammer to tap in a pin. There’s going to be a lot of collateral damage left in the wake.

Men have long had a leg up in politics.

It wasn’t until 1920 — 13 years after statehood — that Oklahomans elected the first two women to our Legislature.

In 1920, Amelia Elizabeth “Bessie” McColgin, R-Rankin, became the first female elected House lawmaker, and Lamar Looney became the first female senator. 

The ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, happened that same year. McColgin served just one session, but historians say her election opened the door for three more women to win seats the next election.

Still, from 1907 to 2008, just 77 women were elected to the Legislature, according to the Women for the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project. 

These days, our state is roughly split 50-50 on gender.

Yet, fewer than 1 in 5 lawmakers in our House are female. It’s only slightly better in the Senate at about 21%.

While women have made gains, politics remain largely a men’s game, and we’re doing little to make it easier for women to access the playing field.

A request by Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, that could allow candidates to use campaign cash to help cover child care has moved slower than molasses. Supporters said it would make it easier for parents — particularly women — to run for office. It just goes to show, our leaders won’t consider a woman’s opinion once she’s had a child, but they’re continually moving to strip her rights when it comes time to decide to have one.

Local television political roundup talk shows are largely hosted by men and often showcase male guests, which perpetuates stereotypes of men being the ones who belong in our political arenas.

Even children notice the gender disparities.

Several years ago, I participated in a televised weekly political roundup. Normally, only men participated, but one week, one commentator couldn’t make it, so I pinch hit. 

After I participated, a mother approached me and said her young son had seen me on TV, and excitedly called her into the room, shouting “Look Mom, there’s a girl!”

That observation hammered it home about the expected gender roles still swirling within our Capitol.

So if lawmakers are going to allow the death of a program that serves as a bridge for women to enter politics, what are they going to do instead to continue that pipeline?

We still obviously have work to do to increase gender diversity.

Women deserve a seat at the table. 

And our children deserve to know that there will be a place for them one day within the halls of our Capitol along with a pathway to help them get there.

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