Women, get out of the home and into the House

Ted Creech, Jacky Sassard, Doretha Walker, and Pam Eveeritt mingle at the reception hosted September 10, 2008, by the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics, the Alliance for Women, and the South Carolina League of Women Voters. Political participation among South Carolina women is low, and three local organizations are doing something about it.

Approximately 300 women registered for a reception hosted on September 10 by the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics, the Alliance for Women, and the South Carolina League of Women Voters. The reception took place in the First Citizens' building downtown.

The reception recognized S.C. women who are involved in politics and encouraged more participation from women across the state in a range of areas from working on campaigns and voting to running for office.

Joan Brady, Republican representing Richland County in the S. C. House, and First Lady Jenny Sanford were two of the women involved in politics in attendance.

Sanford addressed the crowd and acknowledged political participation among women in South Carolina is low, but said positively, that just means we have a large goal to see that more S.C. women are elected. "Nothing is insurmountable in our state," she told the crowd.

Sheryl (l), executive director of the Alliance for Women, and Candy Waites, director of Community Leadership Program at Columbia College's Leadership Institute enjoy the reception hosted September 10, 2008, by the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics, the Alliance for Women, and the South Carolina League of Women Voters. Sheryl McAlister, executive director of the Alliance for Women, also acknowledged the need for more women to get involved in politics. "South Carolina is in last place, and that's not okay," she said in an interview.

McAlister said the event was also about honoring those women who have been active in the political arena. "Those are women on whose shoulders we stand," she said.

Candy Waites is one such woman. In 1975, she was the first woman to run for Richland County Council and win. Waites went on to serve in the state legislature for six years. Today, Waites encourages women to get involved in politics in a class she teaches at Columbia College.

Nearly 30 women attended a hands- on workshops held earlier that day at USC's College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Attendees heard such instructional talks as "The Electronic Campaign" and "Preparing your message," a workshop run by former WIS news reporter, Heather Hoopes Matthews. The Institute hosted the workshop.

Barbara Rackes, a workshop instructor and member of the Institute's communications department, thinks the lack of S.C. women participating in politics is a problem. It's important to have women in elected offices, said Rackes in an interview, because "Women's participation is representative of the population. Fifty- six percent of the electorate is women."

Skip Webb, also a workshop instructor and the creator of the Institute, worries this participation deficit reflects people's view of the role of women in politics. "Many people believe women are better off in the home than in the House," he said.

The Institute began earlier this year in order to directly promote the election of women to public office.

For more information visit the Institute at www.scelectswomen.com, the Alliance at www.allianceforwomen.net and the League of Women Voters at www.lwvsc.org.