Diversity, equity, belonging

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging

The Women's Center works to make our policies, procedures, and behavior consistent with our commitment to social justice. As an agency advocating for women’s equity, we value diversity of sex, age, race, size, income, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ability, and marital status.

We acknowledge that racism and discrimination affecting our community must be challenged in the community at large and within our own walls. We believe it is vital to have individuals working with us who reflect the broad spectrum of our service population.

To this end we commit to:

  • create and maintain a visibly welcoming, safe space for all members of the community;

  • acknowledge everyone’s right to be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion;

  • ensure equal opportunities at all levels of our organization to reflect the diverse world in which we live;

  • actively educate ourselves about discrimination, privilege, macro- and micro-aggressions directed at marginalized communities and individuals;

  • support the statement “Black Lives Matter” and combat white supremacy through the pursuit and implementation of anti-racist practices; and

  • accept feedback that holds us accountable to our values when we make mistakes.

We know that this is an ongoing process and we are committed to the work it requires. We invite you to join us in this important work by pledging to do your part.

We encourage people to speak up and those who do so will be supported by the organization. We understand that everyone comes from different places and with different levels of familiarity with issues of social justice. We invite everyone to commit to learning and growing with us as we continue on the journey to becoming effective advocates.