As this year’s elections draw near, Girls Inc. of Columbus, an organization that inspires girls to be strong, smart, and bold, presents Girls Inc. She Votes, a nonpartisan, nationwide initiative that promotes civic engagement by teaching girls that they can have an impact on public policy through voting and running for office.

Through She Votes, Girls Inc. of Columbus is providing a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run for political office and serve as an elected official, and explain how important it is for girls to vote. Girls participate in activities that introduce them to voting, public speaking, fundraising, and campaign advertising.

A special highlight of the program is a mock presidential election the week before the actual election. These ballot-casting events, which will be held at Girls Inc. affiliates across the country, are designed to help girls learn through experience the difference that even one vote can make. Girls in Columbus will cast their ballots on Monday, October 31, at both the Baker Center on Levy Road and the Dorothy Hyatt Center on Kolb Avenue.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics, fewer than 45 percent of eligible women aged 18- 24 voted in the 2012 election. Women currently make up 19 percent of the U.S. Congress and 24 percent of state legislatures; there are only six female Governors. Women of color are further under-represented as elected officials.

“In 1916, Alice Paul formed the National Woman's Party to fight for the passage of a national suffrage amendment. These amazing women endured unimaginable hardship, degradation, and violence in their fight to secure a woman’s right to vote and to have a voice in the decisions that impact our lives. Sadly, one hundred years later, far too many of us take this right for granted,” says Leann Malone, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Columbus. “Through She Votes,” she continues, “we teach girls what civic engagement is and how to use the power of their voices. They’ve learned about the suffragists and conducted voter registration drives at our Centers. They’ve created political posters and cartoons, and have decorated voting booths and ballot boxes. Most importantly, they’ve learned that they have the power and the responsibility to use their voice not only to influence change, but also to lead it.”