WGR is committed to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

Women in Government Relations (WGR) strongly supports and strives for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) amongst women government relations professionals, including those in leadership positions in both the public and private sector. WGR values different perspectives and strongly believes that these viewpoints improve society and advance better public policy. 

The membership and Board of Directors of WGR work to create, implement, and sustain a culture of DEI within WGR’s membership by incorporating DEI practices into the organization’s leadership activity, dialogue, programming, policies, and communications. WGR strives to ensure its members are encouraged and supported regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or family responsibilities.

Vision

The long-term vision of WGR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative is to create, implement, and sustain a culture within WGR, and across the government relations field, that celebrates and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion; and incorporates policies and practices tied to these principles.

Background

WGR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee was formally launched in January of 2018 to support the Board’s efforts to move forward its DEI Initiative. A chair and two vice-chairs were appointed to lead this work. After reviewing survey and focus group data collected in 2017 regarding the need for WGR to implement a diversity and inclusion strategy, the DEI leadership team immediately mapped out its strategy and identified four goals to guide its work: 

DEI Education 

• Educate WGR’s leadership (board, committee leadership, and taskforce co-chairs) on DEI
• Educate WGR’s general membership on DEI
  

DEI Programming

• Implement specific DEI programming 
• Incorporate DEI initiatives into existing programming and events 
  

Diversify Leadership and Membership 

• Diversify WGR’s existing leadership and create a long-term strategy to ensure a consistently diverse, equitable, and inclusive leadership pipeline 
• Recruit and sustain a diverse membership base
  

Long-term Impact 

• Create a long-term strategic plan that identifies DEI outcomes, outlines associated activities, and measures the overall success of DEI initiatives
• Forge partnerships with professional organizations that contribute to the development of DEI within WGR and throughout the government relations field 

Get Involved

The DEI Committee currently consists of approximately 40 members who have supported these goals over the past two years. Committee meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month and are open to all members. Visit the calendar of events to register and attend.