Charlotte Hays arrived in the nation’s capital in 1980 and has been in Washington, D.C. ever since. And she has a simple message for young women interested in getting involved with politics: “Do it.”

“Start at the city council. Start somewhere and do it, and don’t be afraid to have your own opinions,” Hays told IW Features.

And, if you do decide to go into politics, she added,  “maybe you should read something like Champion Women.”

Champion Women is the series Hays helped start for Independent Women more than 13 years ago. Through it, Hays has interviewed hundreds of women from all different backgrounds to highlight their truly remarkable stories and accomplishments. Some of the women Hays has featured include Tulsi Gabbard, Lynn Friess, Kristi Noem, Harris Faulkner, Karol Markowicz, and Betsy Kallop.

Hays’ career at Independent Women began in 1999 as editor of The Women’s Quarterly, Independent Women’s Forum’s magazine.

In her very first issue of The Women’s Quarterly, Hays interviewed feminist Camille Paglia about the affair between former President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.  

“I did an interview with Camille Paglia, and Camille, as you know, is brilliant, and she’s funny, and she talks real fast, and I had to transcribe it,” Hays said. “But Rush Limbaugh read the interview and the phone rang off the hook, and we got lots and lots of new subscribers. And it was such a wonderful experience, my first issue.”  

Hays realized there were countless other women, many of whom were conservatives, “who had achievements, who were interesting, who had something to say, but who would never be written up in the Washington Post.” So she decided to help change that.

“The idea behind Champion Women was if you’re a left-wing woman, you get all of these write-ups. You’re featured in the style section, the New York Times writes about you, all the magazines write about you,” Hays told IW Features. “If you’re a really prominent left-wing woman, you get on the cover of Vogue, and women of the right who have tremendous achievements don’t get anything like that.”

“Think of it this way,” Hays continued. “The First Lady [Melania Trump] who’s a supermodel can’t get on Vogue. Conservative women really get a raw deal from the media. They get a raw deal and their achievements are obscured,” Hays told IW Features. 

What does it mean to be a Champion Woman, according to Hays? It means being “dynamic,” “original,” and “outstanding.”

“What I would say is that everybody I profiled for Champion Women is a woman who thinks for herself. These are not women who just follow the party line. Not a single sheep in the bunch—and it grew into a large bunch,” Hays told IW Features, noting she’s profiled everyone from sitting U.S. senators to writers to archaeologists and anthropologists. 

But all of them had one thing in common, she said: “Conservative women almost have to go against the grain, don’t they?” 

Hays’ work through the Champion Women series documenting the stories of women making a difference across the globe embodies Independent Women’s new tagline: “Tell Her Story, Change the World.” Indeed, in many ways, Hays was the organization’s very first storyteller.

But Hays’ contributions to Independent Women extend well beyond The Women’s Quarterly and the Champion Women series. She authored a book for the organization in 2020, titled The Women Who Won the Vote, to celebrate 100 years of women’s suffrage, and in 2014 wrote a chapter for LEAN TOGETHER: An Agenda for Smarter Government, Stronger Communities, and More Opportunity for Women. Hays also served as director of cultural programs, senior editor for Independent Women, and creator of Daily Musts, a morning newsletter for Independent Women’s Network with top curated news and Ms. Musts hot takes, prior to her retirement in December 2024. Hays continues to contribute to Daily Musts for Independent Women.  

Originally from Greenville, Mississippi, Hays wasn’t always conservative. In fact, Hays told IW Features she used to be “so left-wing that when a sniper got onto the roof of Howard Johnson’s and started firing, I sided with the sniper,” she said, referring to the black nationalist “New Orleans Sniper” who killed five police officers in 1972. Hays even wrote an article after the event titled “Nine Black Voices Speak Out,” which “[portrayed] the sniper as a revolutionary hero.”

“Well, of course, when he got down, he killed people. When he got down, it was discovered that he was just an out-and-out nut,” Hays added. 

However, Hays’ political views began to change when she was mugged late one night by a man after finishing a shift at the paper where she worked, Figaro, early in her career in New Orleans. 

“Well, I struggled and struggled and struggled with this because I kept thinking, ‘I don’t think this was the right thing for him to do, no matter what kind of childhood he’s had, no matter what kind of economic deprivation he’s had.’ And then I thought, ‘You know what? If he had killed me, it would’ve been wrong.’ And that’s how I began to become a conservative. It was a slippery slope, but I soon found myself voting Republican,” Hays added. 

As someone who made the switch from liberal to conservative, Hays wants young women to understand they have nothing to fear from the conservative movement, no matter what the left might say.

“I remember watching a Democratic National Convention and I thought, ‘Oh, I’m never going to have any fun again because Democrats are so much fun,’” Hays told IW Features. “Well, that just wasn’t true. It was much more fun and much more interesting.”

The same is true now.

“Our ideas are much more interesting, and one reason our ideas are much more interesting is we have to defend them. Democrats don’t,” Hays explained. And that makes being a conservative woman “not only fun,” but also “sort of easy,” she said. 

“If you [look at] the left, they’re cookie cutter people,” Hays said. Conservative women, on the other hand, “have their own opinions” and aren’t afraid to share them. 

That’s why Hays describes them as champions, Hays said — “it basically means you’re inspirational.”

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Hays’ impact on Independent Women dating back to when she first joined in 1999 has been immeasurable, as is evident through the following quotes of praise: 

Carrie Lukas, president of Independent Women, said: “Charlotte has always helped keep Independent Women focused on the North Star of what we are trying to preserve:  A country of boundless opportunity that encourages the best in people, in part by expecting the best. We care not only about government policy, but creating a vibrant culture and civil society that is aware of our country’s history, respects it, and seeks to build on it to make us all better. In an age of sound bites and media clips, Charlotte reminds us that deep knowledge, research, and thought remains important too. You may be able to get a message across in a 5 second clip, but you can’t win over hearts and minds and instill an understanding of founding principles and virtues.  Those require more, and are worth it.”

Grace Terzian, former senior vice president of Independent Women’s Forum and publisher of The Women’s Quarterly who hired Hays in 1999, said: “How appropriate to celebrate Charlotte Hays – IWF’s longtime wordsmith (for more than two dozen years!) —and all that she has brought to the organization. I was very fortunate that I hired her in 1999 to be editor of The Women’s Quarterly, our fledgling IWF journal of opinion. With her sparkling writing and editing, and just the right touch of provocative wit, our smart/funny essays gained national attention and respect for IWF. No longer could the Left dismiss conservative women as clueless Stepford Wives. Here’s to Charlotte Hays and the thousands upon thousands of words that she has artfully crafted on behalf of the extraordinary Independent Women’s Forum.” 

Victoria Coley, vice president of Communications at Independent Women, said: “Charlotte is one of the most sophisticated, witty, and sassy women I’ve ever met and I consider myself lucky to have her as a colleague and friend. She is an incredible wealth of information and you can always rely on her to give the tea on the latest policy or political happenings.”

Amber Schwartz, executive vice president of Independent Women, said: “Charlotte’s incredible wit and entertaining writing have helped make Independent Women the powerhouse it is today. Over the years, she has elevated countless conservative women who deserve to be celebrated by telling their stories of trials, growth, and triumph. Now it’s time to celebrate Charlotte’s story, and she deserves every bit of recognition for the amazing woman that she is!”

Julie Gunlock, director of Independent Women Network, said: “Charlotte was my first editor at IWF. Coming from a job working on Capitol Hill, I had plenty of experience writing formulaic memos on policy issues but I’d never written an opinion editorial or done any media. Charlotte was unfailingly kind, enormously encouraging, and always gentle in her edits and guidance. I grew to become a better writer and thinker because of Charlotte and still learn so much from her today. Every woman should have a teacher and mentor like Charlotte.”

Every month, Independent Women Features will highlight a new woman for its Champion Women series. If you know a woman who you think should be highlighted, please share her name and a brief description about her background here.