Redefining Representation: The Women of the 116th Congress

<p>Just over a century ago, Jeannette Rankin of Montana won a seat in the House of Representatives, becoming the first woman ever elected to a federal office. In 1917, 128 years after the first United States Congress convened, she was sworn into its 65th session.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One hundred and two years later, one has become 131 -- the number of women serving in both chambers of the 116th Congress as of this month.</p>

<p>For most of recorded American history, political power has looked a certain way. Portraits of power call certain images to mind -- those of older, white men, dressed in suits and depicted in formal settings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 2018 midterm elections ushered in a change in representation; for the first time, more than 100 women serve uin the House of Representatives -- out of 435 seats -- and members of color were elected in more states than ever before.</p>