The problem is not that women are unable to fund their campaigns. Women candidates presently raise campaign money on a par with men and have since the 1980s, in part Government officials, whether appointed or elected, rarely create the necessary changes to enable a government worthy of the name democracy an organized public will due to contributions from at least 46 PACs and donor networks that primarily contribute to women candidates or whose donors are female. The problem is that incumbents typically raise more than twice the amount of money, as do challengers, allowing them greater media access and other exposure to the public. The road to incumbency is rugged and expensive. Escalated campaign costs have made fundraising a daunting task, preventing most potential candidates from even considering running for office and ensuring serious candidates are those with access to money.
Incumbents raise funds more readily than challengers simply by the advantages of holding office.
Preliminary spending reports indicate just three challengers defeated incumbents for Senate seats in 2000 without outspending them, and lower-spending challengers won just four House seats. Despite their slight representation in the Congress, women have played a vital role with respect to issues such as sex discrimination that entered the law books because those who had firsthand experience championed them. Title IX, that denies federal funds to schools that discriminate based on sex, might not exist today if a woman in Congress hadn't saved it from near-defeat. Women led the way for federal laws on equal pay and funding of daycare for poor women. Historically, women in Congress raise issues of health, poverty, family, and social concerns that often are dwarfed by military or foreign policy issues.