As the first-time mother of an 8-month-old, I’m often concerned with making the world better for my daughter as she grows up. But every day, I also realize that I’m not in this struggle alone. Not only are there millions of moms out there trying to figure out how to balance work, a personal life, and a child (or three)—there are also millions of fathers that now have to face the same challenges.

According to CAWP,

Elected women are working to make the agenda of legislative institutions more reflective of women's concerns stemming from their roles as caregivers in the family and in society more generally.

Fathers have many of the same concerns, especially as more families have two working parents.

In 1995, the then Women’s Campaign Research Fund (now WCF Foundation) found that:

65% of men believe we'd have a better Congress if it had more women... A majority of women

legislators (unlike men) list health care, children, family, housing, environment and education as their top priorities. In 1993, when they doubled their numbers to just over 10% in Congress, women helped write and pass more laws benefiting the family than in any previous year.

It’s been over 15 years, and still only 17% of Congress is women, and families are still being left behind. Far more men today are concerned with issues like paternity leave and child care than they were in the past, and that’s why all parents need more women in government.

Help celebrate the challenges that parents today face, and recognize the contribution of fathers nationwide by telling your representatives that we need more women in government.