League of Women Voters DEI Statement
⏤Adopted by the League of Women Voters of Michigan on February 9, 2019 and updated on 1/21/2024
Discrimination or harassment of any kind will not be accepted within the League, including but not limited to race, socio-economic status, age, ability status, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, or marital status. The League is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging for all people. The League is an organization that respects and values the richness of our community and our members. The collective sum of our individual differences and life experiences represents not only our culture but our reputation and the organization’s mission/achievements as well.
LWV is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and practice. These principles are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policymakers in creating a more perfect democracy.
There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization based on gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or Indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Definitions
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are mutually reinforcing. Increased inclusion is associated with increased equity; most organizations with higher inclusion and equity also have greater demographic diversity.
Diversity
Diversity includes all of the similarities and differences among people, not limited to gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or Indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, appearance, language, accent, ability status, mental health, education, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, and political perspective or affiliation.
Diversity refers to population groups historically underrepresented in socially, politically, or economically powerful institutions and organizations. These groups include but are not restricted to populations of color, such as African Americans and Blacks, Latinx, Native Americans and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. They may also include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations, people with disabilities, women, and other groups.
A team can be diverse, and so can an organization. A person is not diverse. Diversity is about a collective or a group and can only exist in relation to others. A candidate is not diverse—they are a unique, individual unit. They may bring diversity to your team, but they are not diverse. They are a woman, a person of color, and part of the LGBTQ community.
We commit to increasing diversity in the recruitment, retention, and retainment at the national, state, and local levels and in the leadership and executive roles.
Equity
Equity is an approach based on fairness that ensures everyone is given equal opportunity. This means that resources may be divided and shared unequally to ensure each person has a fair chance to succeed. Equity considers that people have different access to resources because of oppression and privilege. It seeks to balance that disparity.
Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems and their distribution of resources, including professional growth opportunities. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.
Equity prioritizes efforts to ensure the most underserved and marginalized have as much opportunity to succeed as the most well-served and advantaged. By considering the various advantages and disadvantages that people face, we work to ensure every person has an equal opportunity to succeed.
We commit to prioritizing equity in the work of the LWV staff, board, and members.
Inclusion
Inclusion is an ongoing process, not a static state of being.
Inclusion is the dynamic state of operating in which diversity is leveraged to create a healthy, high-performing organization and community.
Inclusion refers to the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in the decision-making processes within an organization or group.
An inclusive environment ensures equitable access to resources and opportunities for all. It also enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, engaged, motivated, and valued for who they are and their contributions toward organizational and societal goals.
While an inclusive group is by definition diverse, a diverse group is not always inclusive. Being aware of unconscious or implicit bias can help organizations better address inclusivity issues.