News
Women’s resumes pouring in for state appointments
One month since its inception, the South Carolina Gubernatorial Appointments Project (SC GAP) is well-underway with 100 resumes from women across the state applying for positions on state boards and commissions.
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Women Responding to the Call for State Service
The South Carolina Gubernatorial Appointments Project (SC GAP) is progressing toward its goal of increasing the number of women on state boards and commissions. In the month since the project was announced, SC GAP has already received 100 resumes from across the state. Today, in a join press conference with the SC League of Women Voters, the Institute called on women to become more politically active, running for elected and appointed offices.
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It's the least we can do
On the 90th anniversary of women's right to vote, South Carolina women are not quitting the fight.
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90 years after 19th Amendment, women still underrepresented in SC
Thursday was Women's Equality Day. It has been 90 years since the 19th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. But some women in our state say while we have come along way, women still have more work to do when it comes to politics.
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Women Celebrate 90 Years of the 19th Amendment
August 26th was established as Women's Equality Day by Congress in 1971. Thursday, women from across the state gathered to celebrate 90 years of the 19th Amendment, the measure which gave women the right to vote.
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ASK A WOMAN TO REGISTER, VOTE AND SERVE
On Thursday August 26, 2010 at 10:30 am, the League of Women Voters and its partners, including the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics, will sponsor a walk from the front of the Statehouse to the second floor lobby for a brief program and press conference to celebrate Women's Equality Day.
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How much does gender still count in politics?
That's the question readers of this blog have asked me to explore. After all, in this midterm election the female candidates seem to be getting a lot of media attention, perhaps even more than their male opponents. Among those are Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina, and Linda McMahon. Moving on to 2012, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton seem to have a special pull force in bringing in media and intense analysis.
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Group Offers Input for Women Seeking Office
The Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics has scheduled a training session in the Upstate to assist candidates for office and their campaign managers on fundraising, scheduling, organizing grass-roots efforts and creating strategies for social media.
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Progress, pitfalls for women candidates
Although it's getting easier for female candidates, the political rule book for women remains long and intricate. Good for at least a full chapter: Expect close scrutiny of your physical attributes.
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Group Lobbies for More Women in Top State Jobs
When it comes to elected office and state leadership positions, Palmetto State women tend to shun and be shunned.
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Wanted: More Women in Politics
To combat South Carolina's gender gap, the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics will present the next governor with a list of qualified women to fill the state's boards and run government agencies, Waites said.
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Sheheen, Haley Split on Pledge to Appoint Women
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Vincent Sheheen has signed a pledge, promising to make an effort to appoint qualified women to senior level positions on state boards and commissions if he is elected.
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Amount of Women in SC Political Arena Lacking, Says Southern Institute for Women in Politics
South Carolina is last in the country for the number of women in state Legislature, according to the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics.
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Getting Women to Step Up
Women are far less likely than men to look in the bathroom mirror one morning and say: you know, I'd make a great senator. I should run for office! Long before there was an Alvin Greene action figure to enrich my appreciation, this statement rang true to me. I'd heard Debbie Walsh from the Rutgers Center for Women and Politics say it, then present the research to back it up.
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SC Group Asks Next Gov Not to Overlook Women
The nonpartisan Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics is seeking resumes of interested women. It has asked gubernatorial candidates to agree not to overlook qualified women in their appointments.
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EDITORIAL: Women and Governments
South Carolina ranks last among the 50 states in the percentage of women in its state legislature. That is just one of many statistics in which the Palmetto State ranks poorly in the number of women in government leadership positions.
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SC GAP Calls for the Next Governor to Appoint More Women
The South Carolina Gubernatorial Appointments Project (SC GAP) launched a drive today to involve more women in state government through appointments to the governor's cabinet, commissions and boards.
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Women Pounding on Governor Mansions' Glass Ceilings
WASHINGTON — As she begins her general election race for South Carolina's top statehouse job, Republican Nikki Haley is part of a group of candidates this year who are simultaneously pursuing another goal: to be their state's first female governor.
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The Woman Effect: From Kagan to Palin
If the recent emergence of women as a political force were cast as a 1950's movie, you'd be hearing catty remarks about each other's looks; innuendo about having "a reputation", and viewing a scene where the driven career woman shoves one of her employees in a fit of pique over an embarrassing public appearance.
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Feminists' Job One: Electing More Women to Office
Women make up almost 51 percent of the U.S. population.
Women make up almost 17 percent of the U.S. Congress.
Although 1992 may have been the "Year of the Woman" in congressional contests, that election changed the proportion of women from 6 percent to only 10 percent.
Whoop-de-doo.
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From California to South Carolina, Women Rule Primary Night
Wins for outsiders Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman, centrist Blanche Lincoln, and Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle—plus a runoff for Nikki Haley—are a clear sign of voter desire to shake up the good old boy network.
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Haley trounces Barrett, but falls short
State Rep. Nikki Haley on Tuesday trounced U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, her closest rival in the four-way Republican primary for governor, but will face him again in two weeks in a runoff election.
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Year of the Political Woman Redux? Looks that Way
Eighteen years after a few glass ceilings were broken, hundreds of female candidates have set their sights on Congress, governorships and state legislatures, and a significant number racked up big wins in Tuesday's primaries. Republican women, in particular, served notice to the old boys of the party.
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Arkansas Democrat Sen. Blanche Lincoln wins primary
The two-term senator withstands this year's strong anti-incumbent tide. But in Nevada, a 'tea party' favorite wins the GOP nomination to face Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in November.
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Palin's backing pays off for pals
Perhaps Palin's most powerful demonstration came in South Carolina, where her endorsement propelled a major swing in the polls for Haley's primary campaign for governor and sustained the state representative through accusations of two separate affairs.
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Whitman, Fiorina will challenge Dem icons in Calif
California Republicans took an historic step Tuesday by nominating two wealthy businesswomen to challenge Democratic icons for governor and U.S. Senate, setting in motion an election season of big-money campaigns and high-stakes in the nation's most populous state.
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Rally cry is on for women in politics
The Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics is encouraging more women to join the realm of politics in the Upstate and throughout South Carolina.
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Passion Driven Leader: Deb Sofield
Deb Sofield, SEIWIP Board Member, is featured on Nancy Bocskor's monthly newsletter.
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Group aims to get more women into politics
Friday night the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics held a dinner in Columbia. The group's goal is to get more women educated and trained to run for office, increase the pool of female candidates and to raise awareness of women in leadership roles.
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SC nonprofit to honor 2 female politicians
A nonprofit that seeks to help women get elected in South Carolina is honoring the state's former schools superintendent and a former legislator.
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Needed: More women in politics
At the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics, we are working to replace that embarrassing situation with a new one, by increasing the pool of capable female candidates; educating and training women to run and to win; and raising the profile and general awareness of women in leadership roles and of the unique benefits they bring to the political and policy-making processes.
OpEd in The State by Rep. ...
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Pencil it in
Events in the coming weeks that piqued our interest: The 2010 Leading Women Dinner on April 16 at 701 Whaley St...
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Chavez-Thompson wins Democratic lieutenant governor nomination over Earle
Former labor leader Linda Chavez-Thompson, buoyed by support from labor and Hispanic groups, was well ahead of her two opponents Tuesday in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.
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Rep. Brady elected to WIG
South Carolina Representative Joan Brady (R - Richland County) was inducted to the national board of Women in Government, on Thursday, January 7, in Laguna Beach, California.
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Southeastern Institute of Women in Politics aims to close politics' gender gap
After Jenny Horne, a Summerville attorney, narrowly lost a special House election in 2006, she salved her wounds with tips on how to win next time.
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Institute to host reception
Group's goal is to embolden women to run for office
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Public interest group challenges women to run for public office
South Carolina ranks last in the nation for female representation.
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Pre-Legislative Session Press Conference Videos
Speakers from the Southeastern Institute at the Pre-Legislative Session Press Conference on January 7th.
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Public Interest Group Challenges Women to Run for Public Office
South Carolina Ranks Last in the Nation for Female Representation.
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Rep. Brown's departure has Ketner taking a second look
Rep. Henry Brown Jr.'s (R-S.C.) decision to retire at the end of his term has raised Democrats' hopes of picking up the seat, especially if businesswoman Linda Ketner enters the race.
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Women lack representation in S.C. politics
Rep. Shannon Erickson spoke recently to an elementary school class in her home district of Beaufort. Afterward, she said "a whole swarm of girls came up and asked for my autograph."
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A rusty nail for South Carolina
On Monday, as news filtered out that beleaguered South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was being charged with 37 ethics violations, the woman who wants his job spoke of restoring public pride in her home state.
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Fundraising expert to speak at Charleston School of Law for training workshop
Nancy Bocskor Fundraising expert Nancy Bocskor will be in Charleston on Friday and Saturday for a training workshop she is leading at the Charleston School of Law.
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Fundraising Training School & Reception with National Fundraising Expert Nancy Bocskor
The Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics and the Center for Women, will host a reception, this Friday, with national fundraising expert Nancy Bocskor, author of Go Fish: How to Catch (and Keep) Contributors. The reception is free and open to the public.
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2009 November Election Winners and Run-offs for Female Candidates
The Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics would like to congratulate ALL the women in South Carolina who were brave enough to run for elected office! Here's a list of the winners and runoffs by county. This list is a work-in-progress...please let us know if you have a winner to report by emailing us at info@scelectswomen.com.
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Upping the ante: Local women have strong showing in Tuesday's elections
When Linda Page learned Tuesday night she'd won a seat on Mount Pleasant Town Council, she was so happy she cried.
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SEIWIP Board Member Barbara Rackes Interviewed by Skirt
Until Barbara worked on a campaign and witnessed "the intrusive nature of media into the personal lives of candidates," her "life plan" was to run for office.
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Elections with female candidates November 3, 2009
Here are a few of the female candidates for races across South Carolina on November 3, 2009.
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South Carolina Government Lacks Women
South Carolina ranks 50th – last – in the nation in terms of women in public office. In the 2009/2010 Legislature, South Carolina is the only state in the nation with a single-gender chamber – the South Carolina Senate.
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She-power
Powerful women gather in Northern Virginia to talk about an issue dominating the state's race for governor.
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New National Initiative Reaches Young Girls and Women of Congress
A handful of women U.S. House Representatives convened in front of the Capitol in support of a new national initiative - Girls Rock the House (GRTH) - designed to educate young girls about the political process and encourage future political involvement.
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Woman running for S.C. secretary of state
Richland County resident Marjorie Johnson is seeking the Democratic nomination for secretary of state. Johnson, according to her Web site, is a retired public relations executive.
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Obama Plays Hoops at the White House, but Where are the Women?
Taking a break from health care and Afghanistan strategy review sessions, President Obama will get in a game of basketball today on the White House court.
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A Woman's Place Is...
Thirty years ago, in the spring of 1979, my family drove from Sylvania, Ohio to Washington, D.C. for a vacation during my brother’s and my spring break week from school. I was 10 and my brother was 8, and it turned out to be a civics lesson that was disguised as a family vacation. (My parents were big on the National Parks and monuments as vacation destinations.)
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Is SC ready for a female Governor?
Barbara Rackes, Treasurer of the Institute, is interviewed on WIS-TV about the status of women in politics and the Institute's role in changing the current numbers.
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The world needs female leaders to take on dirty politics
Women are grossly under-represented in the governments and legislatures of the world, and there are two fundamental arguments why this is a bad and unacceptable thing.
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Don't Even Speak of Equality! - Part 2
Angelica Mucchi-Faina, psychology professor at the Perugia University, thinks that "in Italy you cannot even talk about equal opportunities for women in politics."
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Where Are the Women? - Part 1
Four ministers out of 21; 193 parliamentarians out of 952 (upper and lower houses); no party leaders. Why are there so few women in Italian politics?
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First in the State GOP Gubernatorial Debate
Watch the First in the State GOP Gubernatorial Debate hosted by WIS TV.
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Women in politics: GOP holds edge
Today's Tennessee political junkie discussion question, posed in a recent conversation: Why are virtually all of the most prominent women holding elective office in Tennessee Republicans?
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The Rachel Maddow Show: The Sorry State of South Carolina
Rachel talks to native South Carolinian Eugene Robinson about the sorry state of South Caronlina's education and health care systems in contrast to the attitudes of their politicians who are all opposed to health care reform.
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Here come the Republican women
Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon definitely inserts some zest into the ranks of Republican Senate candidates, but she also adds something the party has been lacking for a long time: women.
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Karen Heller: Women's issues need action now
Lynn Yeakel announced yesterday the launch of Vision 2020, a national "two-day conversation about women and leadership" to be held in Philadelphia next October. The meeting will launch a decadelong movement toward gender equality in time to celebrate the centennial of women's right to vote - 11 years from now.
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Study: Women lawmakers best men
Are women more effective lawmakers than men?
That's the preliminary conclusion of a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University and the University of Chicago, who say that on average, women in Congress introduce more bills, attract more co-sponsors and bring home more money for their districts than their male counterparts do.
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Coakley First Candidate In MA Sen Special Election
Massachusetts has never elected a woman to the U.S. Senate, and only four women have ever been elected to Congress from the Bay State. Coakley is one of only five women ever elected to statewide office in the state; none has been elected governor (though Jane Swift served the remainder of Paul Cellucci's term).
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Wanted: Women lawmakers
In November, voters will fill three positions on the Sioux City Council, and 11 are seeking the positions.
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The Battlefield to the Domestic Front: A Note on Women's Equality Day
Today, as we celebrate the 19th Amendment and Women's Equality Day, thousands of women continue to partner with men as soldiers overseas. These courageous women have sacrificed to serve their nation -- and through their participation, have proved not only the quality of women's contributions in war, but the necessity of their involvement.
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Report: Ohio lagging in women's advancement
Women are less likely to serve in the Statehouse and pursue college degrees in Ohio than they are in many other states, according to a report released Wednesday.
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The Unfinished Work of Women's Political Equality
The recent New York Times Magazine feature on women's global rights did not include any mention of key women's organizations such as WEDO, MADRE, or AWID, underscoring the importance of raising the visibility of women's political work.
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The Women's Crusade
IN THE 19TH CENTURY, the paramount moral challenge was slavery. In the 20th century, it was totalitarianism. In this century, it is the brutality inflicted on so many women and girls around the globe: sex trafficking, acid attacks, bride burnings and mass rape.
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Politics: Women called to get more involved
Women make up 50 percent of the population in Utah, but they are far from being equally represented as elected officials.
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Hitting the Glass Dome
Female legislators are no longer an anomaly, but they still are under-represented at the statehouse.
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Senate confirms Sotomayor for Supreme Court
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination by a 68-31 vote, making her the first Hispanic on the high court.
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Leading Democratic Women's Strategist Weighs in on Trends for Women Candidates
Celinda Lake is one of the nation's foremost experts on electing women candidates and on framing issues to women voters. It is her feeling that it is absolutely essential to elect more women to public office.
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Rural frontier still daunting for women in politics
Amid efforts to boost participation, research shows women twice as likely to get elected in urban areas.
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New Group Aims for More Women in New Brunswick Politics
A new organization is forming in New Brunswick to reverse the traditionally low number of women in politics.
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Judy Chu Becomes First Chinese American Woman Elected to Congress
The San Gabriel Valley Democrat, who will represent California's 32nd District, adds the victory to a 24-year political career. She won with nearly 62% of the vote and the support of local political leaders.
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25 years later, Ferraro reflects on groundbreaking nomination
On July 12, 1984, Mondale, a former Minnesota senator and former vice president, announced he'd chosen U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York to be his running mate. Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket.
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You Want To Run For Office. Now What?
Lesia Liss never thought of going into politics. She worked in health care for 23 years, but after spending 13 years as a registered nurse in the emergency rooms of the Henry Ford Medical Center in Warren, Mich., she had a change of heart.
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Under The Radar
Gov. Mark Sanford isn't the only fascinating political story in South Carolina these days. There's another pol on the Columbia scene who might also find herself in the national spotlight, albeit under very different circumstances.
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National Women's Political Caucus 19th Biennial Convention
Support women in politics at the National Women's Political Caucus convention in Newport Beach, CA, Aug 7-9. Early bird registration of $200 by July 21, or $250 with NWPC membership, includes three breakfasts, keynote luncheon, Diversity Reception, Saturday breakout sessions and Saturday gala.
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Where Have All the Governors Gone?
With Sarah Palin's recent announcement that she is resigning her post as Governor of Alaska, there will soon be just six states with women governors – Hawaii, North Carolina, Michigan, Washington, Arizona and Connecticut.
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Mexico's Women Make Gains in Politics
In addition to completely reordering Mexico's political landscape, the mid-term legislative elections on July 5 marked a step forward for gender equality in the country. The opposition Institutional Party of the Revolution (PRI), previously the third-largest party, scored a huge victory.
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Gilland sticks to her guns on not voting for a female leader
Gilland raised the hackles of residents and other elected officials Tuesday when she said that she would not vote for a woman to fill the open county administrator position. Gilland went on to explain that she still had a bad taste in her mouth from the way she feels the last woman administrator, Linda Angus, was treated. Angus was eventually fired.
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SC and NC Women's Lawyers Associations Welcome Sandra Day O'Connor to Conference
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to speak at SCWLA/NCWLA Conference on October 1, 2009 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, SC.
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Symposium a success!
Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics co-sponsored the "South Carolina Women: Our Lives and Times Symposium" with The Alliance for Women and the USC College of Arts & Sciences on June 4th. Around 200 people attended the symposium, held at USC's Moore School of Business. Check back to our site for photos of the event!
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Haley announces run for governor
Lexington County Rep. Nikki Haley said Thursday she is launching a bid to become South Carolina’s first female governor.
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Celebrate history and lives of South Carolina women on June 4 at USC
A public symposium celebrating the lives of South Carolina women is set for Thursday, June 4, at the University of South Carolina and is expected to draw scholars from around the world who have written about Palmetto State women.
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GOP women: a minority in a minority
Women make up almost 51 percent of the U.S. population but less than 10 percent of the House and Senate GOP - a gender disconnect that could make the Republicans' climb back to power even steeper than it would be otherwise.
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S.C. Court of Appeals set to feature all-female panel for first time ever
The nine-member court works in smaller panels of three. A panel scheduled to hear arguments May 27 will include Judges Kaye Hearn, Aphrodite Konduros and Paula Thomas. The panel was put together through the court’s normal rotation but marks the first time the three women will sit together.
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O'Neil, McGee, Perkis win Town Council seats; Mayor Carl Smith reelected
Madeleine McGee, Pat O'Neil and Mike Perkis have won the three open seats on Sullivan’s Island Town Council. Mayor Carl Smith, who ran unopposed for mayor, was reelected again with 578 votes.
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2 council members keep seats
Barrier island residents re-elected two incumbents and added one fresh face to Town Council in Tuesday's election.
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Kathy Groob, Leading Women Keynote Speaker, Interviewed by WIS TV
Publisher of ElectWomen Magazine, Kathy Groob, is interviewed by Hannah Horne of WIS TV about women in politics nationwide and in SC.
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Barbara Rackes Interviewed by WIS about the Leading Women Dinner
Board Member, Barbara Rackes, shares her views on the status of women in SC politics and also discusses the 2009 Leading Women Dinner event.
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Group trains women to become candidates in SC
South Carolina lags the nation in women elected to office, but a group is working to change that. The Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics is holding a training school Saturday to encourage and train more women to run and win in South Carolina.
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Columbia Artists Unite for Women in Politics
Nine Columbia artists under the name Columbia Artists for Women in Politics will show examples of their work at the 2009 Leading Women reception and dinner being held by the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics at the Clarion Townhouse Hotel on Friday, May 1st.
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The Political Pillorying of Pantsuits
Former presidential candidate Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (1) (D–NY) and former vice presidential nominee Governor Sarah Palin (R–AK) may stand on opposite sides of the electorate, but they shared some common ground during the 2008 presidential race.
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Organizations want to put more women in SC offices
Throughout the state, women are serving in roles and in jobs once traditionally and limitedly defined as "for men only." But there is still a severe shortage of women in the highest elected offices in the state, and bipartisan efforts are underway to change that.
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The Gender Wage Gap by Occupation
During the last several decades women's participation in the workforce has steadily increased, with women now accounting for almost half of all workers. Yet while women have almost reached parity with men in terms of their share of the workforce, they are not near parity in their earnings. In 2008 median weekly earnings for women working full-time are $638, 79.9 percent of median weekly earnings for men working full-time, at $798.
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Colorado's percentage of women lawmakers is tops in U.S.
Forty percent of Colorado's lawmakers are women; nationally, the average is 24.2 percent.
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