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Organization History

The Democratic Women of DuPage County (DWDC) is recognized by the Democratic Party of Illinois and became a charter member of the Illinois Democratic Women and the National Federation of Democratic Women when it was founded in 2007.  The mission of the DWDC is to create a forum for Democratic Women to work together to promote the ideals of the Democratic Party and to foster the participation of women in all levels of the Democratic Party. Membership is open to all who share these goals.

 

In 2008, by-laws were adopted, officers elected and nine Standing Committee chairmanships were determined. Serving as the first president was Kim Savage, 2008-2010.  Our nine Standing Committees are:

  • By-laws

  • Legislation

  • Union Liaison

  • Nominating

  • Young Democratic Women

  • Finance/Fundraising

  • Campaign Liaison

  • Program

  • Public Relations

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Each year the organization holds a number of events, open to the public.  Each of these gatherings serves a specific purpose:

 

  • Annual Meeting/Brunch/January.............Elections, Committee Reports, Finances

  • Kathryn "Tinker" Harvey Founders Day/May... commemoriates the legacy of Democratic women in leadership and honors a Democratic woman for outstanding leadership

  • Women's Equality Day/August 26th...............commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote

  • Greek Islands Legislative Update/November....Follows the November elections, features updates from local legislators

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The founders of DWDC recognized that it was important to continue to advocate for more women to run for office and to provide as much assistance as possible to help them be victorious.  When we consider that women make up 51% of the population, and yet we hold just...

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  • 24% of U.S. Senate seats

  • 27.8% of the U.S. House

  • 18% of U.S. governorships

  • only 31.1% of all state legislative seats   

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When we bring the representation of women to a more local level, however, we see that we have made significant gains in DuPage County.  Of the currently elected 17 Democratic legislators who represent a portion of DuPage in the Illinois General Assembly, 15 are women!  When we consider that we hold 11 of 18 seats on the Dupage County Board, and 10 of those are women, we know we have made a difference!  And, we are poised to elect even more women to office with the 2022 election! 

 

The Democratic Women of DuPage County is proud to offer opportunities for Democratic women to come together, to support one another, and to foster unity as we continue to improve parity for women in political leadership.  

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