By Alex Christodoulides
The “Women and Politics” dinner meeting was organized by the Center for the Women of New York, whose founder, Ann Jawin, ran an unsuccessful campaign for state Senate in 1984 against Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose). The group's current president, Joan De Kamp, ran for a seat in the New York City Council. Jawin said she got the idea for the topic when a heckler at a Hillary Clinton speech in New Hampshire told the Democratic presidential candidate she should iron his shirts. She wanted a forum to discuss what has changed for women in politics and what still needs work.”I was one of the first women to run for paid political office,” Jawin said, adding that women had been encouraged to run for district leader positions but often found themselves doing clerical tasks instead while the male district leaders did the political work.”I faced a lot of prejudice running for office,” Jawin said. “I had children and women would ask me, 'What are you thinking running for office? You should be home with your children.' “The two speakers for the evening, Elizabeth Crowley and Deborah Markel, are current candidates for City Council. Crowley is seeking the seat that is to be vacated April 18 by disgraced City Councilman Dennis Gallagher (R-Glendale) and for which there is to be a special election this summer. Markel is running for the seat that is to be vacated by City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who will be term limited out of office in 2009. Both have platforms that promote education, services for senior citizens and community building.As if to show how things have changed in 24 years, when Crowley mentioned to the group of about 20 at the diner that she has two children, nobody batted an eye.But some things remain the same, like facing challenges to raise enough money to run a successful campaign.”It's still very hard to get money out of women to run for office. Women are more likely to give money to men” if there is a male candidate, Jawin said.De Kamp's strategy for beating that fund-raising bias plays on using women's skills to advantage.”The most favorable way to raise money is the house party, which women excel at,” she said.Reach reporter Alex Christodoulides by e-mail at achristodoulides@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
