The Path to We Believe Women
A group of women who still felt frustrated by the treatment of Anita Hill host the “Anita Hill Wake-Up Call Anniversary Celebration,” which will come to be known as the Anita Hill Party.
#MeToo goes viral, as more women begin to come forward about their experiences of sexual assault and harassment using social media. This leads to a reckoning throughout many industries, particularly Hollywood and Media, as the deep entrenchment of sexism is scrutinized.
Five female state senators, known as the Sister Senators, join together to filibuster a near-total abortion ban in South Carolina. The measure is approved anyway, banning abortions around 6 weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant.
Tarana Burke begins the “me too” movement, which continues to highlight the issue of sexual harassment in our world. The movement takes off globally.
Professor Anita Hill testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas’ sexual harassment of Hill while they worked at the Equal Employment Opportunity Comission. Four days after her testimony, Thomas is confirmed.
We Believe Women is founded to create an intersectional community of feminists and womanists supporting each other through conversation, collaboration, and connection.
Professor Christine Blasey Ford accuses then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her, and testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Despite her testimony, Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Court. The similarities to the Anita Hill testimony do not go unnoticed.
When we asked ourselves, “How do we get more
women actively involved in supporting women's issues?"
The answer took us back to the beginnings of feminist groups in South Carolina.
We learned that emotional connections motivate women to be engaged.
Women's days are filled with heavy responsibility loads. If they’re going to make an additional commitment, women want to make deep, long-lasting relationships with people who support and inspire them.
South Carolina’s feminist roots started with like-minded women gathering in each other’s homes. Decades later, women activists still seek a sense of community. We Believe Women will provide opportunities for connection by hosting panel discussions, monthly events, and partnering with organizations in the community with similar goals, such as USC’s Department of
Women and Gender Studies.
Why do we need community care for feminists and womanists of Columbia?
South Carolina is ranked
44/51 States in a measure of
women’s rights and
opportunities.*
*U.S. Women, Peace, and
Security Index 2020 and the DOC’s
comprehensive measure.
Women represent 51% of
the population in SC.
But the state ranks 49th in the country for female representation in state government and lost the last seat held by a woman on its Supreme Court this year.
Nearly two-thirds of South Carolina Voters oppose a statewide abortion ban.
Yet, the state legislature passed a near-total abortion ban in March 2023. When the courts found that ban unconstitutional, they passed another in May 2023.
In 2021, South Carolina women who were full-time wage and salary workers earned 78.4% of the median weekly earnings of their male counterparts.*
*The national rate is 83.1%.
In South Carolina, 29% of women ages 15-44 live in a county with a clinic that provides reproductive health services.*
*The U.S. Access to Reproductive Health Care Index.
