"I wrote this book to pass the torch on to the next generation of women leaders,” said former Vermont Governor Madeleine Kunin ’56, ’85H before an alumni gathering to introduce her new book, Pearls, Politics and Power: How Women Can Lead and Win. The presentation and booksigning were held at the UMass Club in Boston as a part of the Alumni Association’s career development series.

After serving in the Vermont legislature, Kunin was, in 1984, the first woman elected to the governor’s offi ce and the fi rst woman in United States history to be elected governor three times. Although much has changed since she held offi ce, there has not been a large influx of women entering politics. “When I was elected governor in 1984, I thought the floodgates had been opened, but when I looked behind me I saw that there were only a few stragglers here and there.” Women hold only 16 percent of the seats in Congress—a fi gure that must grow, according to

Kunin. In the introduction of her book, she writes:
“It is time for a call to action, for new political leadership
to emerge from the women of America. The stories of the
women in this book and thousands of others like them
who hold elective and appointive offi ces all over America
are making a difference…The problem is that they are too
few… We need their voices, as grandmothers and mothers,
wives and widows, daughters and sisters, to be heard in
the political debate about the future of our country. The
debate may be raucous, the debate complex, and the
rewards not assured, but we cannot stay out of it. Each
woman’s experience changes the nature and content of the
conversation.”

So, how do we engage more young women and get them involved in politics? Kunin’s hope is that her book will remove some of the mystery and confusion about the political process. She interviewed close to 100 elected women at local, state, and national levels to record their experiences. “One of the things we have to do is explain better through people’s stories, like those in this book, that [politics] is worthwhile if you take the risk of getting involved.” Kunin noted that there are positive trends, with Nancy Pelosi wielding the gavel in the U.S. House of Representatives as speaker and Hillary Clinton’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“I’m often asked – where did I become interested in politics?” said Kunin. “Though I wasn’t conscious of it at the time, I did get the grounding for a political life while in college. UMass Amherst opened my eyes and made a huge difference in my life. It was an extraordinary experience, and I am forever grateful for the education I received there.”