For decades, it’s been a man’s world on Capitol Hill – that’s finally changing

More women are in chief of staff roles than ever before. With an election ahead, they've reached a pivotal moment

The halls of the US Congress were, for many years, a man's world. The first woman elected to Congress, the Republican Jeannette Rankin of Montana, joined the House in 1917, three years before the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote and decades before the civil rights movement enabled ballot access for women of color.

Now, more than a century later, 150 women serve in Congress, marking an all-time high. And as more women have joined the House and Senate, the ranks of senior staffers on the Hill have shifted alongside them. More women, specifically young women, are leading congressional offices as chiefs of staff, giving them invaluable access to lawmakers and opportunities to influence the policies that shape Americans' lives.