Male Students Continue to Outnumber Female Students In Student Government Positions

On Howard's campus the faces of student government representatives have typically been male. The have dominated executive positions such as Under Graduate Student Association President and/or Vice President for the past several years.

However, Howard women outnumber Howard men in the number of enrolled students,  67 percent of Howard's students are women according to US News and World Report.

Sophomore, legal-communication major, Joshua Crockett is the Executive-President of the Howard University School of Communications Student Council. Crockett ssaid that nothing is holding women back besides themselves, because in many cases they will win.

"I just don't think a female is compelled to run, however when that time comes, the female will have a good chance of winning," he said. "Females have proven to be good candidates for the positions such as HUSA president or vice president. It comes down to the qualifications, not so much gender."

Taylor-Rae Collins-Headley is currently the School of Communications Community Service Coordinator. Collins-Headley gave insight about her views on Howard's student government.

"We need to have more females running for president and vice president for HUSA," Collins-Headley said. "I think the easiest way to change the pattern is run for the positions."

She  added, "The more females run, the better chance to get elected. We as a whole must encourage more people to run."

However, some Howard women have ignored the male dominance and took on the competition with confidence.

Undergraduate Student Trustee, Erin Rigsby, Executive President of the PURPOSE School of Business undergraduate student council, Andrea Armstead, and Executive President for the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Science, Mallory Lambert currently hold positions for their student governments.

"I know a lot of females that go for electoral positions," said Collins-Headley. "Now, 52% of the positions are being held by females, but 25% holds the executive leadership positions."

However, a woman has not been elected as the President of the entire student body since Jennifer Owens held the position in 2006.

"More women need to come together to support one another in politics," said sophomore legal communications major, Kristin Tellis, the Co-Coordinator of the School of Communications Mentoring Program. "We are the majority of the population at Howard."

"We need our voices to be heard," she said.