LIHU‘E — When women vote, women win, Jadine Nielsen said Saturday. The chair of the Patsy T. Mink Political Action Committee and the Hawai‘i Democratic National committeewoman was addressing some three dozen people about the results of a QMark Research
LIHU‘E — When women vote, women win, Jadine Nielsen said Saturday.
The chair of the Patsy T. Mink Political Action Committee and the Hawai‘i Democratic National committeewoman was addressing some three dozen people about the results of a QMark Research poll.
Nielsen, who relocated to Honolulu from Washington, D.C., said the PAC supports progressive pro-choice Democratic women who are committed to the values of the late Patsy Mink. She referred to the QMark survey which revealed that 77 percent of the respondents said they are pro-choice and consider choice an important issue.
The PTMPAC was formed in 2003 as a volunteer state political action committee with Mazie Hirono serving as its first chair, Nielsen said. Janice Bond, coordinator of the event, said originally Hirono was also scheduled to make an appearance at the gathering at Tiano’s restaurant in Lihu‘e, but her mom was not feeling well and she was scheduled to return to Washington on Monday.
During the afternoon gathering, Bond said state Reps. Mina Morita and Dee Morikawa also had an opportunity to discuss their legislative platforms.
QMark Research released its survey of women’s attitudes on voting in October, between the primary and general elections, funded by the PTMPAC last summer, Nielsen said.
That survey included responses from 671 women in Hawai‘i with a margin of error of 3.78 percent, states a release from the PTMPAC.
“Young women feel disenfranchised, the poll discovered,” Nielsen said. “They feel they’re not connected to the political process and they’re not being listened to.”
Nielsen said the poll revealed that 25 percent of women had reached out and contacted a local politician, but of those seeking help, a quarter of them did not receive a response.
The remaining 75 percent of women who have never contacted a local elected official said they believed their concerns might not be taken seriously.
Additionally, the results show that 86 percent of those polled believe some, or most, of those seeking political office are self-serving and have motives other than representing their constituents and communities.
Of the respondents, the survey revealed that 75 percent of the women interviewed were registered voters. But only 36 percent of single mothers polled were registered to vote.
Women want their legislators to work on the high cost of living followed by the higher quality of education for Hawai‘i’s youth, a release from the PAC states.
“The high cost of living makes it difficult for women, especially single parents with children, to own a home,” Nielsen said. “These women say priorities that need improvement are affordable housing and job opportunities.”
Nielsen defined “affordable housing” as perceived by women who participated in the poll.
“Affordable housing is not about owning homes,” Nielsen said. “Most of the women are single parents with children and their perception of ‘affordable housing’ is housing with affordable rents in a quality neighborhood. Owning a home is out of the picture for them.”
Nielsen said women are an important and significant force in Hawai‘i and the PTMPAC want political leaders to be aware of their concerns.
“We’ve been through four election cycles and have helped elect 13 women into office, two at the state level, including most recently, Dee Morikawa,” said Nielsen. “When women vote, women win. They win at so many levels and at many different ways. This is about empowering women.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
