When Women Lead, Ohio Prospers | The Matriots | The Women’s Collective Newsletter | May 2024

The Matriots, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization was launched in 2017 with the express mission to advance women’s equal participation in all aspects of political life in Ohio. Connected by values, not labels, the Matriots are committed to policies and like-minded candidates who support its shared values.

Gender Equality in Politics Matters.

Since our launch, we continuously seek to better understand the electorate and how we can help advance women’s equal participation in politics at the federal, state and local levels. Some of what we have learned:

• Women control or influence 85% of consumer spending. (Source: Forbes 2019)
• Women control more than 60% of all personal wealth in the U.S. (Source: Federal Reserve, MassMutual Financial Group, BusinessWeek, Gallup)
• One out of every 11 American women owns a business. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor)
• Ohio’s wage gap places Ohio 35th for pay equity. (Source: National Partnership for Women & Families citing U.S. Census Bureau data)
• Women make 90% of household healthcare decisions. (Source: Yankelovich Monitor, M2W Conference)
• Women perform more household duties, care of the elderly and the young, and more non-work office duties. (Source: Gallup 2020; National Partnership for Women & Families 2018; Harvard Business Review)

Women in business, in our communities, and in families drive influence, impact, and investment. Research shows that gender equity in politics will help remove escalating political rancor in the majority of public policy debates and move to more cooperative work. Ultimately, this will result in a shared vision and plan for Ohio’s future.

Endorse. Advocate. Encourage.

The Matriots envision a world where women have equality, influence and power.  Imperative for a fair and sustainable democracy, the Matriots’ work is really quite simple – to:

ENDORSE: Identify and endorse women candidates in Ohio who share our beliefs and  principles, and will work to achieve equality, influence and power for Ohio women.

ADVOCATE: Strengthen women’s political voices by supporting legislation and policies, and uplifting the women who advocate for them.

ENCOURAGE:  Demystify the political arena, its systems, processes and roles, so that women in Ohio understand and leverage the power of their participation.

And the Matriots’ partnerships, work, and energy continues to advocate against issues and legislation that are designed to impede women’s success in their political journey, including gerrymandering. We strive to create productive paths to endure that the voices of women are heard as public policy is being debated and decided. 

Creating Change. Making An Impact.

More than 2,000 engaged-members strong, positive change is underway and the Matriots are making equal representation a reality.  Consider:

• 400+ candidates endorsed on values not labels in 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties
• 75% candidate win rate in 2023 races and a 55% win rate overall
• Almost $1,000,000 in candidate contributions
• 3 research studies/academic papers written and presented
• 1,500 volunteer hours in candidate endorsements

Invitation to Engage

We welcome the Women’s Collective and the entire Chamber membership to join us, especially now at this critical time in our democracy for fair and equal representation.

• Become a member at www.matriotsohio.com
• Run for office or ask another woman to run
• Host a gathering to learn more about our work (email giving@matriotsohio.com)
• Volunteer for the Matriots at an educational event or on a committee (e-mail info@matriotsohio.com)
• Follow us on social media @MatriotsOhio

Together, we can – and will – elect more women to public office who can put their vision and values to work toward a more thriving and prosperous Ohio.

Lorie Holt 
Vice President of Membership
LorieHolt@columbus.org