A congresswoman is a woman elected to serve in the United States Congress, which is the part of the federal government that writes and votes on laws. Congress has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. When people say “congresswoman,” they usually mean a member of the House of Representatives, though technically the term could apply to a female senator too.

Each state elects congresswomen and congressmen based on its population. California has many representatives because it has many people, while Wyoming has fewer. These representatives travel to Washington, D.C., where they debate issues, propose new laws, and vote on bills that affect the entire country.

Being a congresswoman means representing the interests and concerns of the people back home. A congresswoman from a farming state might focus on agriculture issues, while one from a coastal area might work on ocean conservation. The job involves listening to constituents (the people who elected you), studying complex problems, negotiating with other members of Congress, and making difficult decisions about how tax money gets spent and what rules the country should follow.

The male equivalent is congressman, though many people now use the gender-neutral term representative or member of Congress for anyone serving in Congress.