While Rep. McCarthy may be a celebrated current example of a woman who followed her convictions to Washington, scores of other women share similar stories. Harriett Woods initially approached her city council about fixing a loose manhole cover on her busy residential street, the result of which was the disturbed naps of her three young boys. When the city council relegated it to the bottom of its priority list, she went door to door with a yellow legal pad collecting signatures. Eventually, measures were taken to reduce the excessive traffic on her street. And eventually, Woods joined that city council.
Women often feel that they have to know how to do something before they do it.
While it's a good characteristic, it holds them back. You can weather your early mistakes. That is, if you're willing to consider the job in the first place. I think too many women wait to be asked. Public service isn't like being discovered by Hollywood.