Happy National Women’s History Month (and Belated International Women’s Day)! A native from the land of the Cherokee, I bring you greetings from the lands of the Lumbee, Pee Dee, and Catawba. 

With that, March is “National Women’s History” month

Please note the following: 

As we continue on the journey of applying LWVUS DEI Principles to our work, during the League of Women Voters of South Carolina State Convention this April 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina one League be recognized with an Inaugural DEI Award. The DEI Award will acknowledge and celebrate exemplary leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout South Carolina Leagues. 

Selection Criteria

1. Demonstration of emerging or sustained commitment to the values of DEI by documented efforts that are above and beyond routine expectations.
2. Evidence of exceptional efforts to promote an inclusive League that is free from bias and discrimination.
3. Quantifiable impact of DEI efforts on the League’s efforts to strengthen DEI efforts amongst members, leaders, and the work of the League.

More details can be found by contacting your Local League Leader or the State DEI Director. 

What to ask when examining your work through a DEI lens

• Who will be impacted?
• What are the intended and unintended outcomes?
• Does this align with our vision for an equitable and inclusive organization?
• What changes could be made to make this more equitable?

Educational resources 

• The League of Women Voters Champions a Democracy Where All Can Confidently Participate
• Women's History Month Resources from LWV US
• ‘Hamilton’ star Renee Elise Goldsberry Honors Women’s Suffrage Activists
• Honoring the Black Trailblazing Military Women of WWII
• Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
• Black Women Who Define(d) The Voting Rights Movement
• Women-Led or Made Films 

How can you celebrate the previously noted observances? 

• Buy from and support women-owned businesses
• Share what you’ve learned about women’s history online (if posting online about Women’s History Month or International Women’s Day, use #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenPowerDemocracy)
• Read and buy books from female writers