As South Carolina legislators debated a total ban on abortion in the statehouse Wednesday, reproductive justice advocates gathered in their communities to stand together in the fight for abortion access for all.
The Women's Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) held an abortion advocate watch party at Commonhouse Aleworks in Charleston on August 17th to watch the livestream of the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee and provide the community with pro-abortion resources to take action and get involved.
“We wanted to allow people the opportunity to take action together in one space and time,” said Melissa Moore, Director of Organizing at WREN. “And to have a place to care for our people in the trauma of this moment.”
On Tuesday, South Carolina legislators moved forward on Bill H.5399 which bans abortion in the state. Over 60 people showed up to the pro-abortion event representing multiple issue areas including housing justice, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, climate justice, and healthcare. Attendees participated in advocacy training, resistance art, and transformative yoga to help process their collective rage and grief about the attacks on bodily autonomy in South Carolina.
WREN also encouraged people across the state to have their own watch parties in their community.
About WREN
The Women's Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) is a South Carolina-based nonpartisan nonprofit. WREN uses a gender justice framework to build a movement to advance the health, economic well-being, and rights of South Carolina's women, girls, and gender-expansive people. Learn more at scwren.org.
