Political group rallies for women

COLUMBIA -- So many times, governors have thrown their hands up and claimed they "can't find any qualified women candidates for positions," women's advocate Candy Waites said Tuesday.

But, she said, that old excuse just won't do anymore.

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. The effort is part of the institute's Gubernatorial Appointments Project to address the fact that South Carolina has so few women in public office.

The state has the lowest percentage of women in the state legislature, including none in the Senate and no females serving in Congress. What's more, women run just four of the 15 Cabinet agencies and make up 35 percent of the 1,800 gubernatorial appointments under Gov. Mark Sanford.

Conversely, women make up 51.3 percent of the population.

"To create the best possible future for South Carolina, we need to employ the talents, the experience and the brain power of all our citizens," Waites said. "We need input from both men and women to bring policy-making into balance."

As part of the project, the institute sought pledges from gubernatorial candidates Republican Nikki Haley, Democrat Vincent Sheheen and Green Party and United Citizens Party nominee Morgan Bruce Reeves to appoint more women to high-level positions. Sheheen will sign the pledge, Haley declined and Reeves has not yet responded, Waites said. She is executive director of the project.

Haley is the first woman in South Carolina's history to win the nomination for governor from one of the two major parties. Only four women in the state's history have been elected to federal or statewide office.

Haley's campaign spokesman Rob Godfrey said Haley won't make any pledges in reference to appointments, other than to promise that she will choose the highest qualified person for the job, regardless of race or gender. Haley has been involved in the institute's efforts in the past and Godfrey said she appreciates the merits of the Gubernatorial Appointments Project.

"We ... believe it goes without saying that Nikki loves the idea of getting more women involved in public service," Godfrey said.

Sheheen said he is committed to involving women in the running of the state.

"I thought in a state that has a fairly woeful record of women in political office that it was important to reaffirm that commitment," Sheheen said. "My campaign is about bringing people together and that includes women and men and African-Americans and white people."

Reeves said he will sign the pledge and go a step further.

"I am going to employ 45 percent women and 45 percent men and the other 10 percent at my discretion," Reeves said. He added that the other candidates aren't as serious about diversity as he is.

The lack of pledges won't threaten the project or impede its success, because the names of qualified women will be submitted to the governor-elect regardless of whether that candidate signed the pledge, Waites said.

Women are encouraged to submit their resumes to the Southeastern Institute.

The group will screen the resumes to identify women who have the experience and education to contend for high-level positions.

Waites added that the institute believes the best person for a job is the one who is most qualified, regardless of gender.

South Carolina joins 10 other states pursuing the same project, including Georgia and Florida.