Women make up 51% of South Carolina’s population.
However, we only represent 15% of the State Legislature–ranking us 49th in the nation in terms of women’s representation. These numbers don’t add up.
Our core message at SC WIL is simple: women’s voices belong in leadership. If you share our conviction that it’s high time for women’s perspectives to be equally included in the numerous elected seats across the state—over 2,000 in total—along with the countless positions on public boards and commissions at the local, county, and state levels, we invite you to join our efforts to elect and appoint more women in 2024. Scroll down to start your leadership journey with our resources and training. 🔽
Get Involved
More in 2024 is SC WIL’s ambitious year-long push to recruit women across the state to run for elected office in the 2024 election cycle and apply to serve on public boards and commissions. Our goal is to triple the number of women filing to run and seeking appointment – infusing over 800 women into the pipeline to public leadership in South Carolina.
Achieving this goal requires collective action. Will you lend your support to help us cultivate a stronger pipeline of women leaders in South Carolina? Want to get connected in your area?
Run for elected or appointed office.
Are you tired of women being absent from discussions on policies that affect women and their families? Do you think our elected and appointed representatives should take a collaborative approach to solving collective issues? Are you ready to make your voice heard?
If you answered “yes” to those questions, you might make a great elected or appointed leader!
Help us find and recruit women to run.
You know the people in your hometown. Will you help us find and encourage women you know to step up to fill the leadership pipeline?
- Channel the networking you’re already doing at Rotary, church, your children’s sports leagues, etc., You know the women who would make good leaders and where to find them.
- We’ll provide the tools! We’ll provide your own SC WIL business cards, brochures, postcards, talking points, and tip sheets to share with women you know and meet.
- Recruiting or referring a woman does not mean you are declaring her as a candidate or applicant. We aim to educate women and provide the tools they need to decide if running for elected or public appointed office is a good fit for them. It’s a commitment-free connection!
Recommend a woman to run.
A common reason women don’t run is simply because they aren’t asked. We’re asking. Tell us about a friend, colleague, or someone you’ve observed in your community who would make a great leader, and we’ll take it from there.
- We’ll send her a warm welcome and instant access to our best resources, tips, and tools for building solid campaigns and applying to serve on public appointed boards and commissions.
- We’ll invite her to enroll in our FREE online self-paced courses and join our “Office Hours” on specific topics throughout the year.
- We’ll connect her with women who have run who can help allay her fears.
Get Started
Ready to get on the path to leadership, but not sure where to start? Start your journey here with our resources and training.
Access the WIL Win! Campaign Activation Toolkit.
Female candidates have told us again and again that during their first campaign, they had a desire to fix something they saw was broken in our government but had no idea where to start with running their campaign. The SC WIL campaign activation toolkit will help guide you through the process. We’ve built a roadmap to election victory for female candidates!
Sign up for a live, virtual office hours workshop.
Take a deep dive into specific campaign topics during our live, virtual workshop series. Engage with expert presenters and connect with other women preparing to lead—all conveniently scheduled during your lunch hour.
Enroll in SC WIL’s online, self-paced training courses.
Whether you’re considering a future run for office, or hoping to gain the knowledge and confidence to apply and serve on a public appointed board, SC WIL’s free, online, self-paced training courses will get you started on a winning path. Designed with your busy schedule in mind, our simple lessons make topics easy to understand. Each week, we’ll drop a new lesson filled with exclusive resources and training materials in your inbox, and you can also explore courses online any time. Keep scrolling to learn more. 🔽
Elected Office Course
The elected office track will walk you through the ins and outs of building a successful campaign. Topics include organizing your campaign, crafting your message, financing, fundraising, and more.
Looking for Ways to Lead
If you need help determining where you want to go on your leadership journey, this is the place to start. This course samples the most pertinent lessons from our appointed and elected office courses to help you decide whether to run for office or apply for a board or commission.
Appointed Office Course
From finding opportunities to serve and understanding the responsibilities, to standing out in the application process, this track will help you find the right board or commission to match your interests and experience.