Meet some amazing Women for Sherrod
Today, we’re very proud to launch Women for Sherrod, a new constituent group focused on Sherrod’s work to promote gender equality in the workplace, in healthcare, and beyond.
At a time when gender-based pay discrimination costs Ohio women nearly $30 billion every year, Sherrod has co-sponsored all nine attempts to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. He’s worked hard to make sure women have access to the healthcare they need, as well as reproductive care and family services. He’s spearheaded legislation to tackle human trafficking, and advocated for initiatives to address sexual harassment and assault.
For these—and many other—reasons, women across Ohio are proud to stand with Sherrod. Meet some of the incredible Women for Sherrod:
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Sandra J. Anderson
Sandy serves as Chair of the Equality Ohio Education Fund board and Vice-Chair of the Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio board. She also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Ohio University, and she was the first woman to serve as president of the Columbus Bar Association.
“I’m a farm girl from southern Ohio, and I grew up at a time when we didn’t have sports for girls in my high school because it was pre-title IX,” she said. “I was maybe the fourth woman or so to be hired at my law firm. I may have some glass shards in my hair from trying to crack that glass ceiling, but I wouldn’t have gotten there without following the path of many other amazing women.”
A longtime Sherrod supporter, Sandy describes him as “a necessary voice for both progressive issues and moderation, bipartisanship, and common sense that we absolutely need in the Senate.”
She commends him for his work to give women choices when it comes to their healthcare, his fight to ensure reproductive freedom for more women, and his consistent outspokenness for equal opportunity in the workplace.
“Especially with what we’re seeing from this White House these days, it’s so important for us to not only support other women, but also people like Sherrod Brown, who are on the right side of issues like healthcare and equal pay,” she said. “It is absolutely critical in 2018 that we keep Sherrod in the Senate, fighting for the people of Ohio and beyond.”
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Rhiannon Childs
Rhiannon serves as Executive Director for the Ohio Women’s March. An Air Force Veteran, she’s an activist who also works for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.
Rhiannon’s commitment to social justice and fighting for equality began with her work in the Air Force, where she served as a healthcare professional. Following the 2016 presidential election, Rhiannon began raising her voice—and uplifting others’ voices—on issues like access to healthcare, which affects millions of women nationwide.
“Healthcare is a human right,” she said. “That’s why Planned Parenthood is so important. I’ve been a patient of Planned Parenthood the majority of my life. All members of our communities deserve access to healthcare, and Planned Parenthood has been around for 100 years, servicing our patients with compassionate care.”
She’s proud to support Sherrod for his tireless work to expand access to healthcare, and to level the playing field for women in the workplace.
“I believe Sherrod is a good ally for women because you always see him advocating for women’s rights, equal pay, and making sure everyone is able to have a living, working wage,” she said. “I’m a single mom. For me not to be able to make the same amount of money as my counterparts at work, it hits even harder for me. I know Sherrod will stand up for me, fight for me, make sure I make a living wage and am able to live with dignity and respect.”
Rhiannon stressed that what we do now—in speaking out, marching, and working to re-elect Sherrod in the fall—will have a long-lasting impact, not just for Ohioans, but for an entire generation of women.
“I have a daughter who’s 10 years old,” she said. “I think about her and I fight for her and for all little girls her age, because I don’t want them to face the same disparities I did. I want them to know they’re accepted in any space, regardless of their gender or gender identity. That’s part of why I got involved in organizing on behalf of all people. The issues we’re seeing aren’t just problems that are unique to me, these are things we all care about. We have everything to gain in this election.”
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Tamaya Dennard
Tamaya was recently elected Cincinnati City Councilwoman. She’s the first openly gay woman of color elected to public office in Cincinnati, and went v
iral for holding a red folding chair during her swearing-in, a reference to the Shirley Chisholm quote, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
A Cincinnatti native, Tamaya is very excited to fight for progress on issues like healthcare, equal pay, education, and raising the minimum wage—issues that have a major impact on women and families’ lives.
“When women are supported, when our healthcare is protected, that’s a win for society,” she said. “I was raised by a single mom and her health affected me. If she couldn’t work, she wasn’t making money, and that meant she wasn’t able to provide. Nationally, issues like these are so important. We need to make sure we’re not moving backwards. We don’t want to turn back time.”
Tamaya sees Sherrod as a leader who will fight as hard as he can to move our country forward.
“Sometimes politics can seem transactional, but Sherrod has been a genuine advocate on so many issues for so long,” she said. “More than anything, we need to make sure we have elected officials in D.C. who are looking out for us, and support us. Sherrod will be a fighter. We don’t want to take away the progress we have made. And a major way to ensure that we don’t is by re-electing Sherrod in November.”
Jennifer McNally
Jennifer is a strategic communications and fundraising professional for Columbus arts and cultural organizations. She is deeply involved in her community, serving as board chair of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and as a trustee for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio and Ohioans for Change, while holding many other roles in the community.
A firm believer that “the personal is political,” Jennifer has been especially motivated to get more involved politically since having children—who are now 11 and 13—to create a better future for the next generation.
“Women’s healthcare is under attack in Ohio and across the country,” she said. “Senator Brown has been one of the fiercest advocates for Planned Parenthood and women’s health, and I’m honored to stand with him.”
Jennifer emphasized that whether or not women are being treated fairly and equally has far-reaching implications, not just for women but for families and the economy: “Pay equity, paid family leave, safe and affordable childcare, access to contraception and safe and legal abortion, and medically accurate sex education are not just ‘women’s issues,’” she said. “The well being of our families and communities is impacted by women’s economic independence, safety, and access to healthcare. Sherrod understands this, and I support him proudly.”
