Courtesy of Citizen Jane Politics

When asked if she considers herself to be well informed on current events, Northwestern University student Julia Greenberger laughed.

“Of course,” the sophomore said.

When asked if she considers herself to be well-informed about the 2012 election, Greenberger showed a little more hesitation.

“I try to be. . .but it’s hard,” she said. “Most of the recent election coverage pertains to national security, the situations in Syria, Iran and Egypt, or the economy, which are all traditionally more masculine topics.”

According to Greenberger, there is a female void in the world of politics.

This absence makes it more challenging for female college students, like herself, to engage in the political process, she said.

While women make up 52% of the population in the United States, they only compromise 17% of seats in Congress.

This low representation rate proves there is a gender gap problem on Capitol Hill, said Patricia Murphy, the Capitol Hill bureau chief of Politics Daily.

“Most politicians are men, old men, so it is difficult for young women to relate to politics,” said Murphy. “But it is really important for them to get involved.”

To help, Murphy created the website Citizen Jane Politics — “the modern girls’ guide to picking the leaders of the free world.”

Her goal is to engage young women in politics by simplifying political issues and providing information such as how, where and when to vote.

“I would describe [the website] as a one-stop shop for young women to learn about and engage in politics,” Murphy said.

“(Young women) make up a group that is least likely to be paying attention to politics and the least likely to be voting and engaged in politics. But politics and the decisions that politicians make affect them every day,” she said.

Citizen Jane Politics breaks down political jargon into language that women understand and use.

“There are a lot of male faces and voices that talk about politics in the media,” said Murphy. “I talked to a lot of women. . .who said they just felt the political conversation in the media really bypassed them.”

To make the information digestible for young women, Murphy adopts a tone similar to Teen Vogue. Additionally, she chooses to feature women leaders on her website to inspire her audience.

“The look and the voice of the website are pretty girly,” she said. “And I try to have as many young women on the site as possible.”

One of her favorite entries was a video interview with former Republican presidential candidate John Huntsman’s daughters.

“They’re young, fresh and have a really interesting perspective,” said Murphy. “Those are the type of voices that can resonate with the girls who I am writing for.”

But making the content female-friendly is not always easy. The shortage of female politicians and political role models creates a barrier that often discourages young females from becoming involved in politics, said Murphy.

After a sixth place finish in the Iowa caucuses, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann decided to suspend her campaign. Since then, the Republican primary race has only been between men.

“Unfortunately there are now no women left to choose from and women are more than half the voters,” said Murphy. “If I could do anything to change the process, I would just have more women running for office and representing both parties.”

However, some students do not believe the lack of female representation is problematic.

“It is important for women to find their equal spot, especially in politics, but this is not a problem,” said Mattais Gugel, a sophomore at Northwestern. “I think the general person can watch the news and understand [political issues] whether it is a man or a women.”

According to the Center for American Women and Politics, women have voted in higher numbers than men in every election since 1964.

“Women are underestimated, as are their capacities to fight in politics,” said Gugel.

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