Several prominent women office-holders will attend the news conference to announce support for the institute and the recruitment drive.

In addition, organizers will outline details of the first day-long workshop on February 8th, to formally kick off the institute. The keynote speaker at lunch will be Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, whose impressive political career demonstrates the impact women in power can have on health care, education and other issues critical to women and families.

South Carolina ranks fiftieth in the percentage of women office holders, with only nine percent serving in elected positions in the State House, Senate or statewide office. Two women currently serve in the State Senate.

The Institute proposes to change the gender imbalance in South Carolina politics by:

• Identifying women already elected or appointed to local government councils, committees, and task forces, and women members of PTOs and other leadership organizations
• Recruiting women from private sector professions such as law, real estate, and education who have potential for serving as public officials
• Building a grassroots network of these politically-viable women, including conferences, a web site, issue resources, and training in advocacy, fund-raising and campaigning skills
• Researching, district by district, demographic, attitudinal, partisan and other political factors that affect election outcomes

For more information about the news conference, please contact Wil Brown, 803-206-0901 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."