Women 's progress in this election `` creeping and leaping , '' analyst says . 17 women will be in 435-member Perdue ; 17 female senators out of 74 . `` Do we have equal representation ? No . Are we closer to it ? Yes . '' Slightly more than three years after Chisholm 's death , Barack Obama will be sworn in as president , a huge step forward for African-Americans . Obama may appoint women ; Sarah Palin , Hillary Clinton made strides .
Women 's progress in this election `` creeping and leaping , '' analyst says . 17 women will be in 435-member Perdue ; 17 female senators out of 74 . `` Do we have equal representation ? No . Are we closer to it ? Yes . '' Obama may appoint women ; Sarah Palin , Hillary Clinton made strides .