News
by WREN Staff on Jan 15, 2021
COLUMBIA, SC- Through four hours of a subcommittee hearing, a multiracial, multigenerational coalition of advocates presented testimony before the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee in opposition of the 6-week abortion ban. More than 100 people signed up to testify today, and the vast majority spoke in opposition to the bill. They included physicians, patients, faith leaders, attorneys,
Advocate Stories
by WREN Staff on Jan 14, 2021
The testimonies below were presented on January 14, 2021 in opposition to S.1, the 6 week abortion ban. The information below is only what advocates allowed to be published some may not include names or locations. —————————— Maya Ward, Columbia To start I’d like to say thank you to Senator Davis and the rest of
Advocate Stories, Health and Education
by Ann Warner on Jan 14, 2021
Testimony given on Thursday, January 14th. Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony to this Committee. My name is Ann Warner and I am the CEO of the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with a mission to build a movement to advance the health, economic well-being, and rights of
News
Jan 13, 2021
What is the State of the State? This is an annual address given by the Governor to report on the economic health of the state and recognize events and individuals from the previous year. The State of the State serves both a political and administrative purpose. It is tradition for the Governor to address the
Health and Education, News, Policy Updates
Jan 8, 2021
UPDATE: The deadline to submit testimony on S.1 has passed, you can still take action by using this link to email members of the Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee. ———————————— On Thursday, January 14th at 10 am the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee will meet to hear testimony on S.1, a 6-week abortion ban. South Carolina, we’ve
COVID-19, Economic Opportunity, News, Policy Updates
by WREN Staff on Jan 5, 2021
As of January 1st, while still in the middle of a public health emergency, Congress decided that emergency paid leave is no longer mandatory in the United States. 87 million workers have lost their guaranteed emergency leave amidst the worsening public health crisis and continued school closures. Rather than extending the requirement for employers to
News, Policy Updates
by WREN Staff on Dec 16, 2020
COLUMBIA, SC – Today, Representative Beth Bernstein will prefile a bill to provide 12 weeks of paid parental leave to state employees. Bernstein’s bill will join Senator Darrell Jackson’s S.11 in explicitly providing paid family leave for state employees for the birth or adoption of a child. WREN applauds Senator Jackson and Representative Bernstein for
News, Partner, Research
by Conservation Voters of SC on Dec 15, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 12, 2020 POLL: South Carolina Voters Struggling with Utility Bills and Want Help One in three South Carolinians have had difficulty paying bills during the pandemic. Nine in 10 support waiving late fees for missed utility bills, preventing utility shutoffs. COLUMBIA, SC – A new poll released today finds that since the
News, Policy Updates
by WREN Staff on Dec 14, 2020
COLUMBIA, SC – The Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network applauds Representative Wendy Brawley for prefiling legislation that would bring pay equity to South Carolina. South Carolina has one of the largest gender and racial pay gaps in the nation and is one of only four states in the nation that does not have laws that explicitly
COVID-19, Economic Opportunity, Freedom from Violence, Health and Education, Leadership and Civic Engagement, News, Policy Updates
Dec 11, 2020
WREN’s policy agenda framework is rooted in the principles of fairness, equity, and inclusiveness, so that all women, girls, and gender expansive** people —of every race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, family status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression – can prosper and thrive. It reflects the importance of policy that serves