Cyndi Munson is running for State Representative in Oklahoma.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Cyndi Munson’s campaign)
Cyndi Munson is running for State Representative in the state of Oklahoma. She shares her experience of running and why more women need to run in Oklahoma below.
The “Great State” is the motto of my beloved Oklahoma. Oklahoma makes me think about my state’s gracious people, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and most importantly, home. I know many Oklahomans think these very same things and share the same love for Oklahoma as I do. However, there are staggering statistics that tarnish the Great State’s image. These statistics highlight the disservice the women in our state are receiving from our leaders and won’t send you singing “Oklahoma” at the top of your lungs anytime soon.
The state of women in the Great State is this: first in female incarceration, third in domestic violence against women, forty-first in women’s leadership, forty-first in women’s overall employment and earnings, fiftieth in women’s health, and the forty-eighth friendliest state to women with only Utah and Louisiana being harsher. Anyone looking at these statistics should shudder. Oklahoma virtually ranks first or dead last on every list ranking the conditions for women in Oklahoma. By standing still, the women in Oklahoma will face an even darker future. But, rather than succumbing to these statistics, if people in Oklahoma, especially women, stand up, we can and will make a better future for women.
How can we reverse these statistics? I am sure there are several possible solutions, but I wholeheartedly believe we must start with one. More women need to run for the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives. We need women to believe in other women. We need women who are unsatisfied with the current statistics and will work to change them. We need more women who will advocate, with every fiber of their being, for the future of women in Oklahoma. We need more women who believe in progress and who will not settle until progress is made. We need more women to stand up.
The landscape of our state legislature shows a correlation between the demographics of our elected officials and the lack of opportunity for women in Oklahoma. Currently only 13.4% of our state legislators are women. That means, of the forty-eight Oklahoma Senators, only four are women, and of the one hundred one Oklahoma State Representatives, only sixteen are women. There is not true representation of women at the Oklahoma State Capitol. When women represent over 50% of the population and hardly 14% of the state legislature, you can guarantee women’s voices are not being heard.
I have made a vow to stand up for the women in Oklahoma. I need the women in Oklahoma to stand with me. The statistics alone make my blood boil. They infuriate me because they do not represent Oklahoma’s true character. Oklahoma provides opportunities for all people. I know Oklahoma believes in its women. They are the very backbone of our families, school districts, religious institutions, and represent the progress that will be made here. That is, at least, the Oklahoma I will fight for. I can ignore what is happening or I can stand up and help create an Oklahoma that is friendly to all of its women.
I am running for the Oklahoma House of Representatives because women need to be seen and heard, especially when they are faced with gross misrepresentation. When I am there, I will work on reversing these statistics. Women need to be educated on the issues and advocate for themselves. We, as women, can no longer stay seated. The future for women in Oklahoma rests on our shoulders.