Recently Ann Friedman wrote about widening the base of women that run for office. Today at the DNC, The White House Project, She Should Run (a pro-choice recruiting organization), and some other girl-friendly organizations put on a forum called "Unconventional Women." The mission of the day seemed to be to inspire women, especially young women, to run for public office.

On a set that looks like the set for a talk show on Lifetime, two freshman senators, Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke with Donna Brazile about women who run for office. Each shared amusing anecdotes about what it’s like to be a woman in the Senate. McCaskill noted that when she was first elected to state legislature in the 1980s and went to choose furniture for her office, she was told "you’re going to have to bring something from your boss’ office," as in a letter of permission. Klobuchar talked about her husband, active in the Senate spouses club, who she once caught carrying a pink box on the way to Hong Le Webb’s baby shower.

Amusing anecdotes aside, the women on stage dispensed advice to young women in the audience, like not to be intimidated and preparing oneself for ready for "smears." Later, congresswomen touted legislation like Lily Ledbetter Paycheck Fairness Act and the Family Medical Leave Act. Piper Coell, a 23-year-old woman who works for a progressive organization, said when I asked her if she would run for office someday, "I hope so!"

In the end, the mission is about creating a pipeline for women to run for office. Until more women get into office, the chances of women prioritizing reproductive health or gender equity in legislation is much harder to achieve.