Issues, Action, and Advocacy

Issues, Action, and Advocacy

2023 - 2025 Priorities

The LWVCA defined our local priorities in our January program planning meeting. They are

  • Education
  • Health Care
  • Voter Rights/Voter Access

The LWVCA membership voted to follow all national and state priorities and programs. Therefore, members' heartfelt commitments to People-Powered Fair Maps via redistricting, women’s reproductive rights, environmental protection, and increased access to safe and convenient voting for South Carolinians, to name a few, are covered within state and national priorities and programs of the League.

How Does The League Select Issues for Emphasis?

In League, "Program" means the issues that we choose for concerted study, education and action at local, state and national levels. Program can include both education and action.

The Program Planning process is part of what makes the League a grassroots organization; each League member has the opportunity to influence the selection of issues where the local, state, and national League will focus time, talent and money.

Every two years, members of local Leagues engage in Program Planning. Based on the results of this, the Board of Directors makes recommendations to the biennial convention delegates about the program to be adopted for the coming two year period.

We are truly a grassroots organization...

The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause when there is an existing League position that supports the issue or speaks to the cause. 

Positions result from a process of study. Any given study, whether it be National, State, or Local, is thorough in its pursuit of facts and details. As the study progresses, a continuing discussion of pros and cons of each situation occurs. Prior to the results of the study being presented to the general membership, study committee members fashion consensus questions that are then addressed by the membership. 

Additional discussion, pro and con, takes place as members (not part of the study committee) learn the scope of the study. After the members reach consensus, the board forms positions based on that consensus. 

It is the consensus statement -- the statement resulting from the consensus questions -- that becomes a position. Firm action or advocacy can then be taken on the particular issue addressed by the position. Without a position, action/advocacy cannot be taken.