Election year has arrived, and the TWU Center for Women in Government (CWG - formerly the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy) has a full slate of programs available to everyone planned throughout 2024.

“We’re here for the entire state of Texas,” Center for Women in Government Director Marlene Phillips said. “You don't have to be connected with TWU to participate in any of our programs, and that is why so many of our programs are done virtually. And they are all free. Just let us know you're coming, we'll send you the Zoom link, and you can gain some civic education to be a better voter and just be a better citizen.”

The CWG, a program of the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership (JNIWL), kicked off the 2024 campaign on Jan. 24 with the first session of its “Back to Basics” series – “Primary Season and Candidate Emergence” featuring speaker political science professor Christina Bejarano, PhD. Bejarano shared her research on increasing the number of women and women of color running for office in a discussion of the primary system in Texas and the United States.

“I really want to express my appreciation to Dr. Christina Bejarano for participating,” Phillips said. “She’s so knowledgeable about this due to all the research that she's done. She can differentiate in generalities such as how white women and women of color emerge in different ways. It was a fascinating program.”

In addition to the “Back to Basics” programs, the CWG hosts “Unpacking” sessions, legislative spotlights and more throughout the year. The first one up is Jan. 31, “Unpacking Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.”

“Dr. Javier Flores, our vice president for enrollment management, has agreed to give us a balanced, informative view on that case and what that means,” Phillips said. “What are the implications for that decision? The Supreme Court ruled that Harvard could not consider race in admitting its students. That basically means that no other college or university across the United States can consider race and admissions. TWU never has, so it doesn't impact us specifically, but it will have an impact. I really appreciate him being willing to share his expertise with us.”

Registration is open for upcoming JNIWL CWG events. For virtual programs, a Zoom link will be provided on the registration confirmation email.

“The CWG supports women all across the state of Texas who want to lead or serve in government and public policy roles,” Phillips said. “What we hope to do is increase the number of women who are active across all the political systems in Texas through education, engagement, and empowerment. Every year as we plan our programs, we have a structure that we follow for the programs that we offer. We're very fortunate to be here on the TWU campus because we can access incredible resources.”

Stay tuned throughout the year to Inside TWU as more CWG events are highlighted during this election year.