St. Paul City Council Makes History with All-Female Council

In a historic moment for St. Paul, Minnesota, the city council has achieved a major milestone with an all-female council. Council President Mitra Jalali expressed her excitement and pride at the diverse and accomplished group of women who will be leading the city in the coming year.

St. Paul, with its population of approximately 300,000 people, is now the first large U.S. city with an all-female city council, according to experts who track women in politics. This achievement is seen as a significant step forward for gender representation in politics.

The seven council members, all under the age of 40, bring a wealth of professional experiences and backgrounds to the table. Six out of seven council members are women of color, reflecting the diverse makeup of the city. Their collective expertise, ranging from civil engineering to nonprofit directing, is expected to contribute to a comprehensive policy vision for the city.

Jalali believes that the all-female council is a reflection of the St. Paul community, with its young median age of 32.5 and majority person-of-color population. She sees this milestone as an opportunity for greater representation and empowerment for young women and girls, who can now see themselves in positions of leadership.

According to data from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, St. Paul is the largest U.S. city on record to have an all-female city council. Unfortunately, this accomplishment is still rare, as women remain underrepresented as municipal officials nationwide. The data also shows that seven out of ten municipal office holders in the country are male, with most of them being white.

The significance of the all-female council goes beyond its immediate impact on governance. Jean Sinzdak, associate director of the Center for American Women and Politics, believes that seeing women of color in positions of power has a long-term effect on young women and girls, who can find inspiration in their achievements.

The newly sworn-in council members wasted no time in getting to work. They held their first city council meeting on Wednesday, ready to tackle the important issues facing St. Paul and make a lasting impact on the lives of its residents.

As St. Paul embarks on this historic chapter with an all-female city council, the hope is that their representation will not only inspire future generations but also lead to policies that truly represent the diversity and needs of the city.