The Republican Party and Donald Trump’s campaign put a new level of focus on women’s political engagement at the national convention this year, according to a member of Congress who made it to several women’s forums held in Cleveland this week.
“There have been so many [events] encouraging women into the political process using the convention, and to encourage women [who are] getting involved in the Trump campaign,” Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told the Washington Examiner on Thursday. “I think that is something that we have not seen in conventions before.”
Blackburn, who is scheduled to address convention delegates Thursday night, participated in one of the events, the Atlantic Women’s Forum, earlier in the day. The forum was geared partly toward looking at how to make a career in public office “more appealing and attainable” for young women.
The forum was one of several hosted at the convention this week. Others included events hosted primarily by media outlets, including Roll Call and the Washington Post, as well as party affiliates, including the National Federation of Republican Women and Women Vote Trump. Aside from Blackburn, prominent speakers at the events included actress Stacey Dash and “Diamond and Silk,” two women who run a popular YouTube channel in support of Trump.
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Blackburn said the events focused on women’s political engagement, especially on helping them learn how to run for office effectively. “They talk about what is necessary for women to run, raising the money, and how to address the issues. That’s where the emphasis is: How did they get the job done, how did they get kind of a start into the process, what it’s like to be in public service, how you handle all of the negative slams that come your direction, and all the negative talk.”
Blackburn said that for her, the events were a highlight of the convention. “This is new … we have not had this number of different events that are women specific. So I think that’s been a real positive for the convention. I have had women coming up to me and asking if I’ll be at this one or that one, and of course I can’t be that many places at one time. But there are so many.”
