Blog
Health and Education, Policy Updates
by Ashley Lidow on Sep 17, 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
by Sarah Nichols on Sep 14, 2018
As you all know by now, Hurricane Florence is expected to hit South Carolina this weekend. Governor McMaster ordered mandatory evacuations for many coastal counties. Columbia’s counties are not included in mandatory evacuations, although recent forecasts do predict that the Midlands will be in Florence’s path. Here in South Carolina we are no strangers to
Advocate Stories, Health and Education, Policy Updates
by Sarah Nichols on Sep 6, 2018
ICYMI: In response to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings that started on Tuesday, Lynn Paltrow, the Executive Director of the National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW), joined us for a discussion on our Facebook live page on how the Supreme Court nomination will affect Roe v. Wade. Lynn currently placed an op-ed in the New York Times on
Leadership and Civic Engagement
by Ashley Lidow on Sep 4, 2018
Deadline to apply is September 21st, 2018. The Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a movement to advance the health, economic well-being, and rights of South Carolina’s women, girls and their families. The Policy Assistant is a member of the Policy and Government Relations (PGR)
by Sarah Nichols on Aug 31, 2018
In 2016, South Carolina ranked as having the lowest HPV vaccination rates in the country. To us at WREN (and to many others), we found this data concerning. As of a newly released 2017 study, we are no longer 50th in HPV vaccination rates, thankfully, and we have made some improvements statewide. But there is
by Brandi Parrish Ellison on Aug 31, 2018
We all have people in our lives that we look to for inspiration, guidance, and gusto. People who move us to be better people, not just for ourselves, but better for others. Sarah Leverette was this for me and countless other women. Sarah had tenacity. She was once quoted saying, “I didn’t feel like I
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
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.