Conversations with the CTGCA Team: Volunteer Recruiter Emily Getoff and Scout Kathrina Abrot
CTGCA Volunteer Recruiter Emily Getoff and Scout Kathrina Abrot tell us about their experiences working in male-dominated careers, how propelling women into the State Legislature and beyond gives them hope, and much more.
This interview has been edited for brevity. CTGCA Volunteer Jessica Sass interviewed members from our team to learn about their roots in the gender equality movement. To learn more about our Interview Series and read other pieces like this, please click here.
When you were a little girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?
KA: A pediatrician, but that was the choice of my mother. Later, I wanted to be a lawyer, but throughout, developed an interest in politics.
EG: I wanted to be a veterinarian.
Were your dreams at all modified, because of limited opportunities for your gender, race, abilities, sexuality, religion, etc.?
KA: As a woman, always. I’m working in a field that has a lot of white male political consultants. And when you break in, as a woman, and a woman of color, you’re always being questioned about your work. They just don’t trust you for some reason, but with male colleagues, they accept the work without question. It still happens even working in progressive politics. Some women too, continue this cycle when they get into positions of power that they don’t want to empower other women because they want to be the only woman in that space. So we need to change that toxic behavior by changing who’s in charge, otherwise it’s going to be an endless cycle. Being in an organization like Close the Gap California has really helped because it is all women-run and it’s good to be in a space where women are empowering other women.
EG: I can relate to a lot of what Kat shared. One barrier I’ve experienced in moving through my career thus far has been being painted as either under or overqualified. I get pushed into one of those brackets so often and rarely am I considered a good fit. And, thankfully, I found places where I am [a good fit], but that’s been one of the biggest challenges operating in such a male-dominated career.
How did your community and family influence your passions?
EG: It’s been a number of people- a combination of educators and family, and also female mentors who I’ve met along the way. I’ve had a couple of women in my life who I met through women’s networking groups who literally sat me down, and said, “I’m going to mentor you.” I am so grateful to them because they met me at a point in my life where I didn’t even know that’s what I needed. The only thing they ever asked for in return was that I pass that along.
My parents are pretty progressive people who instilled some feminist values in me. I’m grateful that I was brought up in a household where I was taught to strive for greatness in my own life and to help lift up other people as well.
KA: My mom has overcome a lot of challenges. She is also in a male dominated industry as an engineer. And she’s never taken crap from anyone. She’s an immigrant woman of color from a province in the Philippines. Men from top universities across the country like Berkeley and MIT, who were also in the same position as her, would question her. But she would stand her ground. My mom is someone I really look up to, and I’m incredibly proud of what she accomplished.
How do you sustain your passion when you encounter setbacks?
KA: I work in campaigns because I am competitive, and I want to win. You don’t always win, but it’s important to celebrate the small wins on campaigns like receiving an endorsement. At the end of the day, my goal is to help elect more women and minority candidates.
EG: I am very mission-driven. I am committed to electing more women and bringing in a new, diverse generation of leaders who bring progressive values to the State Legislature and are truly representative of the constituents in their districts. This work requires a tough skin, humility, and the ability to not take things too personally. I continue to learn these lessons, and over time it gets easier to push through the setbacks and keep the work moving forward.
What drew you to political work? What inspired you to continue?
EG: I grew up hearing stories from my mother, my aunt, and my grandmother, about all the years they fought for Roe v. Wade, equal pay, and other basic rights for women. I have been inspired by each of their journeys to continue this work for all who identify as women.
KA: I was an intern for the Ohio Coordinated Campaign when I was a junior in college, and it was during the 2012 presidential cycle, too. Campaigning in a swing state is an experience to get your feet wet.
I love electing people who are inspiring and who’ve done really great work throughout their careers. Some of the amazing women I’ve come across, they’re not always in the spotlight. They’re behind the scenes, and that’s really where I feel like I fit in. I’m competitive, and in order to stay in this career, small wins like getting an endorsement where it’s never happened before, that’s what drives me. I really really want to change this space to elect more women. That’s why being part of an organization like Close the Gap really allows me to focus on what I love doing, and it also helps to get more women in the political space. When you change the space, you can change policies for women. Women always get things done.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
KA: I’ve helped elect badass women- first-time candidates like Trustee Nichelle Henderson for Los Angeles Community College and Betty Guardado, Phoenix City Councilwoman, defeating the incumbent in large margins.
EG: In 2016, I was a campus organizer in New Hampshire for the Democratic Coordinated Campaign. I worked with a number of young college-aged women, who were new to politics and organizing. Despite the sad outcome of that election for Hillary Clinton, I was so proud and honored to see many of the young women on my team go on to use the skills they had learned, to continue the fight for equitable representation. I’ve been mentored by so many incredible women, and I am so honored to continue to do work today that helps lift up others in their political journeys.
Are there any issues you have not worked on yet that you’d like to?
EG: There are a few. I want to do more related to reducing the amount of money in politics. Obviously, we need good fundraising, but I think stricter rules are needed because our current system leads to a lot of inequity. I also want to work more with candidates who don’t want to accept money from police unions. That’s something that’s really important to me, in addition to also actively working within our electoral sphere to be addressing issues of racial violence. And the environment is a big one for me too. I want to work with more candidates that are deeply committed to tying the Green New Deal into their platform.
KA: For me, it’d be homelessness. I’ve lived my entire life in LA and it’s changed dramatically. It really upsets me that we are all continuously paying for these initiatives and voting to improve things, and yet the homelessness crisis is just worsening every year. It’s a deeper issue than just not having homes; it’s also addressing mental illness, which we’re really bad at doing in general as a country.
In addition to helping elect more women, I’d like to get more Filipino leaders in office. There are a lot of Asians already underrepresented, and even though Filipinos are the largest Asian population in California, we are severely underrepresented across all levels of government.
What gives you hope regarding California’s future?
KA: I think it’s great that we have Kamala from California as VP. And it really gives me hope that a lot of Black women are getting elected across the nation. Black women have been at the forefront of all women’s advocacy and it’s always saving us. They should get more respect, and I’m happy that they’re winning.
EG: I always see so much hope from Gen Z and how my generation and Gen Z’s generation are pushing for very, very real change, whether that’s through reforming the prison industrial system, or pushing for environmental action, or other new ideas that leaders like AOC are championing and becoming this vessel for. It gives me hope to see that because I think we’re going to continue to see more and more leaders, that will be elected this cycle and in the next two cycles, that will even more fully embody these kinds of new ideals. I think we’re gonna see so much more in the next four years, so I’m very excited about it.
What do you enjoy about the work you do with Close the Gap California?
EG: I’m just really excited about the work we do for the pipeline. Close the Gap is centered around the California State Legislature, which is so important. But thinking about these women leaders that we help to recruit for these seats, and how they will lead a pipeline up to the national level. It’s so cool to get to support women at the local level through that process of elevating them to eventually reach the top- maybe the presidency someday, hopefully.
KA: A lot of these amazing women, it’s great to see the start and end process. And there is no end sometimes, because, eventually, you know that some of the women you recruit will just go on to higher office. The sky’s the limit, really. It’s amazing that we have an opportunity to do that. For example, it’s really inspiring because Kamala started off in a DA race. That was a historic race for her because she beat an incumbent, and a lot of people didn’t believe in her. And she won. And now, she’s the Vice President. Pretty cool. And we do meet a lot of women who say they may not run for the State Legislature right now, but that they’re considering running for city council. And that’s great because they’re running for local office now, and maybe in five years, they could run for State Senate.
Close the Gap California is committed to building on progressive women’s historic momentum by recruiting them statewide and achieving equality in California by 2028. Join us!
About Close the Gap California
Close the Gap California (CTGCA) is a statewide campaign launched in 2013 to close the gender gap in the California Legislature by 2028. By recruiting accomplished, progressive women in targeted districts and preparing them to launch competitive campaigns, CTGCA is changing the face of the Legislature one cycle at a time.
One in every four women in the Legislature is a CTGCA Recruit. Our Recruits are committed to reproductive justice, quality public education, and combatting poverty, and nine of 10 serving today are women of color.
