Our August 26 kickoff event for the new 2025-26 year honored Women’s Equality Day, the date in 1920 that the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote.  

Keynote speaker Aisha Jones, Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) of South Carolina, described the challenges facing SC women and, importantly, how we can effectively advocate for issues that matter to us.  

In her engaging and interactive presentation, Aisha shared with participants the challenges facing women in South Carolina and some of the key elements of Advocacy, including:

• Collaboration, partnerships, storytelling, and engaging with our representatives on important issues are powerful tools for change.
• Actions such as petitions, marches, phone calls, social sharing, and letters to your representatives are all counted. Even if you don’t receive a direct response or see immediate change, your efforts make a difference.
• Working together amplifies our impact, and sharing personal stories makes issues more relatable. Tell your story—how does the issue affect you, your family, or your work? Or share the experience of someone you know. Legislators need real-life examples to understand the importance of these issues.
• Change is often difficult and slow, so it’s important to celebrate small victories to stay motivated.
• WREN’s Core Pillars: Advocate, Educate, Research, Convene
• Giving up is not an option. The legislative priorities for the current 126th session demand attention and action. For WREN, the key focus areas are Economic Justice and Reproductive Freedom. LWV supports these priorities, along with an emphasis on voting rights, fair elections, and more.

Interested in protecting our rights?

Our new Social Justice Committee is locally focused, action-oriented, and community-driven. Contact Co-Chairs, Barb Hammes and Sally Ayotte, for info. 

Follow-up session ahead

A follow-up session will be held later this fall on “A Report of the State of Women and Girls in South Carolina”, which includes data from all counties in the state. Watch our website and e-blasts for more information.

Hear from our participants 

More than 60 energized participants were anxious to share their reasons for attending and their thoughts on what women’s equality means to them. Click on the videos to hear them!