Blog
by Sarah Nichols on Aug 30, 2018
August 7th was Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, which means that a black woman would have to work more than 200 additional days to make the same amount of money a white man makes in a year. And August 7th is certainly a significant, symbolic representation of the inequities that still exist for black women
by Courtney Thomas on Aug 29, 2018
After our Midlands and our Charleston blog posts, we probably don’t need to convince you that women-owned businesses are important, right? There are about 11.6 million women-owned businesses in the US—approximately 164,000 of those from South Carolina. And as always, they need our support. Here are some of the women-owned businesses in the Upstate that
by Sarah Nichols on Aug 29, 2018
Charleston, South Carolina is nationally praised for being a beautiful, unique city. But do you know what else it is? An up-and-coming hub for women-owned businesses. In 2011, Charleston County had the highest rates in South Carolina for women-owned businesses. Statewide, women-owned businesses bring in about $16 billion. As we can see, supporting women means
by Ashley Lidow on Aug 24, 2018
It is back to school season, and we at WREN have been doing our homework when it comes to researching and building out a policy agenda for the upcoming legislative session. Now, we would like to invite you to provide us with feedback on the issues that matter to you. So first: what is a
by Ashley Lidow on Aug 24, 2018
As the country faces a new Supreme Court judge who has a history of hostility towards reproductive health and rights, we are reminded that while people in this country do have a right to abortion, that right is often in name only due to unattainable access. Recently the New York Times wrote an article explaining
Leadership and Civic Engagement
by Sarah Nichols on Aug 21, 2018
For one of our #FacebookLiveFridays this month, we were lucky to have Zakiya Esper of Sowing Seeds into the Midlands join us. Zakiya is a former SC juvenile probation officer (and one of the newly-named members of the Obama Foundation’s Community Leadership Corps!) who saw the need for resources for at-risk youth. But she didn’t
by Carrie Lee Lancaster on Aug 21, 2018
It’s no surprise that a legacy of gender disparities continues in this country. A trending and polemical conversation has been ongoing about the gap between women’s and men’s earnings for years. The gender pay gap is prevalent at each stage of women’s careers, from entry-level to executive positions. And this pattern is no different even
by Megan Plassmeyer on Aug 15, 2018
WREN will hold its first annual Upstate Summit on November 9th at Furman University. Following a legacy of state-wide events, this full-day conference will provide specialized content and collaborative opportunities geared towards partners, advocates, students, and businesses that work and operate in the Upstate region of South Carolina. The WREN Upstate Summit will focus on
by Sarah Nichols on Aug 7, 2018
Last Friday, we continued our #FacebookLiveFridays with a discussion with Corrine Reed of the SC Livable Communities Alliance, a statewide campaign from the Palmetto Cycling Coalition and several other community partners. Our discussion focused on what actually makes a community livable and accessible. That may seem like a loaded and difficult question to answer, but
Health and Education, Policy Updates
by Ashley Lidow on Aug 6, 2018
The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) has applied for a Medicaid waiver to change the way that family planning services are delivered in South Carolina. While the stated intentions of the waiver are to improve maternal and child healthcare, this change in policy will limit South Carolinians’ access to the health
Now is the time to invest in South Carolina’s women, girls, and families. We need people like you joining the movement, speaking out, and leading the way toward positive change.