Meeting this moment
Women’s Democracy Lab stands at our nation’s crossroads with a clear vision:
An American democracy where diverse women hold equal representation at every level of public service, driving governance that is just, accessible, and responsive to all communities.
In service of this vision, WDL provides bold, timely, innovative ongoing support to a growing network of elected officials.
We see a world liberated
As more diverse women hold elected office, a transformed democracy becomes possible—but they should never be left to carry that work alone. We exist to ensure that diverse elected women, especially at the state and local level, are deeply supported, with investments in their ability to lead boldly, thrive personally, and transform the systems around them.
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Through innovative, values-driven programming, we support state and local elected officials—many of whom will go on to higher office—in building the skills, community, and strategic capacity to lead authentically and effectively.
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We know that state and local electeds rely on an ecosystem of support and being in public service can take a toll—not just politically, but physically, mentally, emotionally, and economically. That’s why our support centers the well-being of elected women, as well as a growing set of resources for their families, and their staff. We prioritize safety, care, and sustainability as core pillars of leadership.
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From gendered and racialized violence to outdated institutions of governance, our work is rooted in deep partnership with the very women navigating these realities. Together, we are advancing solutions that are meant to transform the accessibility of serving in elected office, the sustainibility and the outcomes for our Democracy.
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Our alumni are a 50/50 ratio of state-versus-local officeholders, with representation from 25 states.
Our members are diverse across age, sexual orientation and gender identity, religion, ethnicity, race, and country of origin, with many of our members being immigrant or first-generation American.
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Since 2023, we have added coaching and career development as offerings to our electeds. It’s not just enough to get folks in elected office - we want them to succeed there, too.
In the past two years, we have provided our members with:
100+ coaching hours
Three in-person retreats
Five safety-specific events
10+ virtual training sessions
In 2024, we also explored a component of hands-on training for peer coaching through a partnership with a former elected official (and WDL alum!) with a background in social work. We continue to experiment with unique skills-building opportunities that our community may not otherwise have access to.
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We co-design solutions with our community of some of our country’s most talented electeds to our Democracy’s most challenging barriers to diverse power-making decisions and outcomes (ex. gender, racial and economic access).
We provide a safe container for diverse women currently serving in elected office so that they can access opportunities for connecting, cultivating ambition, and collectively learning.
Our Impact
What our members have said about us:
