FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Many of the women and supporters of the West Virginia Democratic Women’s Caucus say they have always felt their voices to be unheard by what they consider a tight-knit, closed-in group of Democratic leaders promising positive change.
On Jan. 10, Selina Vickers was elected as the new Co-Chair.
“The people who run the party have been very resistant to allow rank and file Democrats to participate in reforming and allowing people to participate, and so the reforms have been about making sure that there are all different types of people involved in party leadership, people from the Latino community, people from LGBTQ, women, making sure there is an equal number of men and women,” Vickers says.
When Vickers first began her pursuit of party change, there were nine more men than women, contradicting the party rules that require an equal number between the two.
After a push from Vickers and other reform advocates, there’s now equal division within the party, a major step forward that Vickers plans to keep taking during her time in the new role.
“What our purpose is is to get women involved in the party at the level that they feel comfortable with, and to address the barriers they have for participation,” she says. “We want to encourage women to run for office, and we want for the people running and the people in the office to care about women’s issues.”
The Women’s Caucus invites all women pursuing a positive change to let their voices be heard by joining the movement.
If you’re interested in being a part of the West Virginia Democratic Women’s Caucus, you can contact them at women4wv@gmail.com.
