The Center for Women in Government & Civil Society (CWGCS) is a policy

research center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

at the

Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy The Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy is a public policy school composed of the Departments of Public Administration & Policy and Political Science at the University at Albany, SUNY, United States. The department provides ...

, University at Albany (SUNY). CWGCS was founded in 1978, and is a member organization of The National Council for Research on Women.

History

CWGCS, founded in 1978, is the first university-affiliated research center dedicated to women's issues in the United States. Linda Tarr-Whelan, former

United States Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. ...

to the

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW or UNCSW) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the main UN organs within the United Nations. CSW has been described as the UN organ promoting gend ...

and former deputy assistant to

United States President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United State ...

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

, co-founded CWGCS with Nancy Perlman, CWGCS' first executive director.

Mission

CWGCS "seeks to deepen and broaden political access and economic opportunities for women by strengthening the capacity of government, nonprofit and business sectors to implement gender-responsive, inclusive and equitable policies, practices and services." CWGCS has four focus areas: 1) women in leadership, 2) economic security, 3) health systems and gender-based disparity, and 4) safety and wellbeing.

Research

CWGCS conducts research on gender issues of local, national, and international concern. CWGCS studies have included evaluations of

gender equity Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...

in the

American judiciary The law of the United States comprises many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the nation's Constitution, which prescribes the foundation of the federal government of the United States, as well as va ...

, women's influence in American state legislatures and state agencies, women's political leadership attainment in the

developing world A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

, and gender-based disparities in healthcare. CWGCS research has been supported through

grants Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

, National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States Department of State (DoS), the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Charles H. Revson Foundation, and other government agencies,

private foundation A private foundation is a tax-exempt organization not relying on broad public support and generally claiming to serve humanitarian purposes. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest private foundation in the U.S. with over $38 billion ...

s, and

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

2012 U.S. Presidential Election

During the second U.S. presidential debate,

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...

defended his gender-equity record by citing a 2004 CWGCS study that ranked Massachusetts first in the percentage of women holding senior leadership roles in state government. Romney's remarks inspired the " binders full of women" controversy.

Women's Leadership Academy

The Women's Leadership Academy (WLA), launched in 2010, operates educational programs aimed at " trengtheningparticipants' self-efficacy, leadership capacity and capabilities." WLA programs seek to instill "knowledge of policy-making processes and ways women can influence these processes; leadership ethics, principles and approaches of women political and policy leaders; understanding of how political campaigns are organized and run; recognition of the critical importance of diversity in enriching democratic political participation; skills in community organizing and advocacy; and commitment to advancing women's leadership on a personal and collective level." CWGCS is a member of the National Education for Women's Leadership Network (NEW).

Fellowship on Women in Public Policy

The

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

program of the Women's Leadership Academy is the Fellowship on Women in Public Policy. The

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

ship awards six-month placements in the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official ...

, New York State agencies, or statewide nonprofit advocacy organizations, and provides academic coursework, workshops, conferences, and other professional and leadership development experiences. The fellowship is open primarily to

graduate student Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

s and working professionals, and has graduated over 300 fellows since its inception in 1983.

NEW Leadership New York

NEW Leadership New York (NYNL) is a competitive leadership development program for

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

women in New York State. The week-long program provides training and education in leadership principles,

political strategy Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an orga ...

, campus

mobilization Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and ...

, and

community organizing Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community bui ...

, and connects program participants with women leaders through networking and speaking events.

References

External links

Center for Women in Government & Civil Society

Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
{{Authority control State University of New York University at Albany, SUNY 1978 establishments in New York (state) Organizations based in Albany, New York