Aug. 26, 2026 release examines how policy and the women shaping it will influence the South’s future
NEW ORLEANS, LA, UNITED STATES, August 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — On Women’s Equality Day, the Women’s Foundation of the South (WFS) will release its 2026 Shift the South Legislative Recap, examining how state policy is shaping the health, wealth and power of women, girls and gender-expansive people across the South.
The Aug. 26 release coincides with this year’s Women’s Equality Day theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.” For WFS, that connection is more than symbolic. Across the region, women and community leaders are organizing, testifying, building coalitions and bringing lived experience into the decisions that determine access to healthcare, economic opportunity, civic participation and community well-being.
“Women’s Equality Day honors how far women have pushed this country forward. It should also challenge us to ask what equality requires now,” said Carmen James Randolph, Founding President and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of the South. “Across the South, women are already leading the change in statehouses, community meetings, advocacy organizations and grassroots coalitions. They are not waiting for a better future to arrive. They are helping build it.”
The 2026 Shift the South Legislative Recap looks beyond which bills passed or failed to examine what those decisions mean in people’s lives. Organized through WFS’s framework of health, wealth and power, the 2026 Shift The South Legislative Recap addresses policy developments related to maternal and reproductive health, family economic security, education and opportunity, voting and civic participation, immigration and other issues affecting Southern communities.
It also centers the advocates and community organizations working to shape those outcomes. Across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas, grantee partners and other advocates organized, testified, built coalitions and translated lived experience into public policy, advancing stronger measures, challenging harmful proposals and preparing communities for the work ahead.
That focus reflects a central principle of WFS’s work: the people closest to the challenges facing Southern communities are not simply affected by policy. They are experts, strategists, leaders and architects of change.
“Equality is not a finish line we crossed once,” Randolph said. “It shows up in who can get care, who has economic opportunity, who can participate fully in civic life and who has the power to shape what comes next. Understanding where policy is moving us is part of understanding where we need to lead.”
The 2026 Shift the South Legislative Recap Release will take place Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, at 11 a.m. CDT.
WHAT: 2026 Shift the South Legislative Recap Release
WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026
TIME: 11 a.m. CDT
REGISTRATION: https://givebutter.com/shift-the-south-2026-legislative-scan-release-lrlalx
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About Women’s Foundation of the South
The Women’s Foundation of the South (WFS) is the first public regional foundation of its kind dedicated to building the health, wealth, and power of women, girls, and gender-expansive people in the Southern United States. Founded in 2021, WFS enters its fifth year as both a philanthropic institution and a catalyst for regional transformation, investing in the people, movements, and institutions driving change across the South.
Led by experienced grantmakers of color, WFS mobilizes capital, strengthens movement infrastructure, amplifies authentic narratives, and fosters cross-sector collaboration to build the ecosystems necessary for lasting change. Grounded in the belief that those closest to challenges are closest to solutions, WFS centers the leadership and lived experiences of women and girls throughout the region. As a permanent, endowed institution, WFS is building a flourishing South where women, girls, and gender-expansive people are healthy, safe, well-resourced, and empowered to determine their own destinies. Learn more at womensfoundationsouth.org.
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