More and more women are seen in the news being elected to public offices, causing some younger women to look up to them as role models.

Lisa Heddens, now entering her third term as the Democrat State Representative of the 46th District, said there was a time before she pursued a career in politics when she found a role model in a female senator.

“The person that I most looked up to was Senator Johnie Hammond, who has been a longtime friend and mentor.”

Hammond recently retired from the office now held by Democratic State Senator Herman Quirmbach.

“I had consulted her on numerous occasions,” Heddens said. “I saw her passion for the underprivileged children, people with disabilities and families, and her issues were similar to my issues. She was a great influence in my decision to go into politics.”

After November’s election, young women will have more female role models to look up to, including Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who became the first woman speaker of the house and Marsha K. Ternus of Des Moines, who became the first female chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court.

Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, said there are now more women and minorities holding government offices than ever before.

“We know from studies that when women run for political office, they have just as good of chance of winning that office as a man does,” Bystrom said. “The problem has been getting women to run. Studies have shown that women need to be asked and encouraged to run for political office more than men.ÿ

“Women need very visible role models that will also encourage them to follow their political aspirations.”

Bystrom said having women in office is a benefit because of their ability to cooperate.

“In general, women can be more collaborative in their leadership styles than men, and men can be more authoritative,” she said.

Although women have increased their influence in the government, they still don’t haveequal numbers or an equal voice in politics.

“They are overwhelmingly underrepresented,” said James Hutter, associate professor of political science.

There are now 74 women in the House of Representatives and 16 women in the Senate, making up about 17 percent of the 535 members of Congress.

“But 10 years ago it was next to nothing compared to these numbers. They have grown tremendously,” Hutter said.

Bystrom said as long as there are more women in positions of power, these numbers will continue to grow.

“Anytime you have a Nancy Pelosi, a Condoleezza Rice, a Madeleine Albright or Elizabeth Dole, you give women a positive role model that they aspire to,” she said.