Gender Parity in U.S. Administrations: A Historical Timeline
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Vocal.Media
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/10
The United States has a history of inequality for women, as with most countries. It has a development towards fuller equal rights in law and in practice, as with many other countries. Arguments continue in the US over representation, particularly around the current Administration. Lies or falsehoods have been spread. What is the representation of women in American administrations since the vote?
First, some background, the US had the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and the “Declaration of Sentiments” as the first national demand for the vote. The 1868 Fourteenth Amendment Section 2 for apportionment had language of “male” in federal law signaling the exclusion of women.
The 1870 Fifteenth Amendment banned raced-based voter denial, which enfranchised many black men but not women. 1872-73 had Susan B. Anthony vote, get arrested, and then convicted. 1875 had the Minor v. Happersett Supreme Court case did not confer universal suffrage.
Several state and territorial wins built momentum between 1869-1918. Women’s suffrage procession happened in 1913 in Washington, D.C. before Wilson’s inauguration. 1917 to 1919 saw the silent sentinels or White House pickets with arrests followed by hunger strikes raising pressure.
Wilson publicly endorsed the federal suffrage amendment. The 19th Amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919 and ratified August 18, 1920, then certified August 26, 1920. State challenges failed and Leser v. Garnett upheld the Nineteenth Amendment. 1975 saw VRA amendments saw language-minority protections. Important for Indigenous and immigrant women).
Based on historical information, F.D. Roosevelt (1933–45) had women represented as 1/11 and men a 10/11. Roosevelt’s history was the first woman ever: Frances Perkins (Labor). Truman (1945–49) had women at 1/11 and men at 10/11. Perkins again. Truman (1949–53) had women at 0/10 and men at 10/10. Therefore, Roosevelt was a progression and stability, while Truman was a regression.
Eisenhower (1953–57) had women at 1/11 and men at 10/11, then from 1957–61 had women at 0/11 and men at 11/11. Kennedy (1961–63) maintained women at 0/11 and men at /11. Johnson (1963–69) had women 0/14 (0%) and more men added at 14/14 (100%).
Nixon (1969–73) had women at 0/13 (0%) and men at 13/13. Nixon (1973–74) had women improve status at 1/13 and men at 12/13. Ford (1974–77) had women at 1/22 (5%) and men 21/22. Same number, smaller percentage.
Things begin to pick up in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Carter (1977–81) had women at 2/18 and men at 16/18. Reagan (1981–85) had women at 3/17 and men at 14/17. Reagan had the highest totals to that point. Reagan (1985–89) had women at 3/17 and men at 14/17.
G.H.W. Bush (1989–93) had women at 3/17 and men at 14/17. Clinter made a significant leap in equality for women’s representation in an American Administration. Clinton (1993–97) had women at 7/22 and men at 15/22.
Clinton (1997–2001) had women at 9/22 and men 13/22. Despite professional failings, Clinton had the strongest record for women’s representation to that date and the highest percent of representation until Joe Biden (2021-25).
G.W. Bush (2001–05) had women at 4/21 and men at 17/21. G.W. Bush (2005–09) had women at 5/21 and men at 16/21. Obama (2009–13) had women at 7/23 and men at 16/23. Obama (2013–17) had women at 8/23 and men 15/23.
Trump (2017–21) had women at 6/24 and men 18/24. Biden (2021–25) and women at 13/25 and men at 12/25. The first time in American history with a majority of women. Trump (since 2025; as of Sept. 28, 2025) had women at 8/24 and men at 16/24.
Which is to show, Biden had the most women representation in American history, and the trendlines are unmistakably clear. Any party administration in the US over the decades has far more significant representation of women in government, too.
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