Though it might not seem like it, January 2022 is almost half over! For a refresher on the biggest topics related to 2022 women in politics, start here.

This week, we’re reflecting on the top GOTB posts from last year to make sure we’re caught up and ready for 2022’s news:

Women Need to Run for Office Without Having to Run for Their Lives

Betsy Fischer Martin

In this personal post, Betsy Fischer Martin reflects on how last year’s attack on the United States Capitol, and the threat of violence it brought, could impact women who are considering running for office. Fischer Martin writes, “I hope the brave women Members of Congress who experienced the very worst of our society on January 6th can stay motivated and work to somehow change this toxic climate.”

Read the full story here.

Landmark LGBTQ Appointees to the Biden-Harris Administration

Gender on the Ballot Team

Last year, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appointed a record number of LGBTQ people to their administration, shattering many barriers. Some of the LGBTQ appointees included Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary of Health, and Pete Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary.

Read the full story here.

Where are the 2022 US Senate Women Candidates?

Atima Omara

With the 2022 midterm elections looming, a few states will have vacancies in the Senate. Notably, Atima Omara points out that the ascension of Kamala Harris to the Vice Presidency left the Senate with zero Black women. Many are hoping that 2022 will bring a record number of women—and an increase of representation for women in color—to those Senate seats.

Read the full story here.

Breaking Barriers Often Comes with Increased Scrutiny

Amanda Hunter

Almost one year ago, Kamala Harris broke barriers when she became Vice President of the United States. Her trailblazing inauguration was a celebratory occasion for many, yet she has been met with harsh criticism, particularly racist and sexist critiques. Amanda Hunter writes that while Barbara Lee Family Foundation research shows that women and women of color especially are held to different and higher standards than their male counterparts, “Someday, another woman Vice President will follow in her footsteps—we hope it will be without the sexist criticism and gendered standards.”

Read the full story here.

She Votes: Pandemic Politics At Work, At Home, And At the Ballot Box

Katie Connolly and Lauren Eastman

Women’s lives at work and at home have shifted since the start of the pandemic. So have their political attitudes. From a preference for hybrid work schedules to Vice President Harris’s influence on their vote, this post reveals the results of a Gender on the Ballot poll conducted one year after the start of the pandemic, and shows that women are shifting paradigms.

Read the full story here.

Canada drops in international rankings despite wins for women in Parliament

Cynthia Richie Terrell

In the 2021 Canadian elections, 43% of all candidates were women, marking an increase in women’s representation across parties. While this increase shows progress for Canadian politics, the outcomes of the elections prove a different result. One-hundred years after Canada elected the first woman MP, Cynthia Richie Terrell’ piece reflects on gender parity in the country.

Read the full story here.

Moderate Women are Making History

Helen Milby

With more women running and winning elections, the U.S. government is nearing more equal representation in politics. What those women are doing in office shows the importance of women holding elected office. In this piece, Helen Milby covers the Congresswomen “Who are working on policy solutions and using their instincts to reach across the aisle to write bills that will become law.”

Read the full story here.