Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are key goals at EMILYs List

We are committed to seeking out diverse perspectives and creating a space where people are valued regardless of sex, age, race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, national origin or religious affiliation. We also celebrate the diverse geographic, economic, and family perspectives that help us meet the needs of our staff, our candidates, and our larger audience. We are committed to practicing an intersectional feminism that fights systemic racism — and moving forward together towards a morally just and equitable society.

As an organization that values diversity in our elected officials, it is even more important that we recognize our responsibility to value inclusive practices that allow diverse voices to thrive within EMILYs List. We expect our leaders to prioritize inclusion when hiring staff and consultants, investing resources, holding candidate trainings, and recruiting candidates.

Anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion are strategic goals as well as just ones. Diversity and inclusion results in better representation which can create better policies. We are a multi-generational community committed to progress, and every year we understand better that progress will not be fast enough, or reach its potential, unless we center the voices of those historically shut out of electoral politics and those most vulnerable to reproductive injustice. We understand that this work does not have a finish line and requires all of us, including our candidates and our coalition of partners in politics and reproductive justice. We will expand these partnerships with allies to find new ways to meet our goals.

Our Impact

We recognize the important role that Democratic women have always played in bringing diversity to our caucus at the federal, state and local levels. We are proud to have helped elect the first Native American, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican women in Congress; the first openly gay senator, the first Latina to ever serve in the Senate, the first and second Black women senators, the majority of current Black women House members and the first Asian American woman senator; the first South Asian American woman to serve in the House; and the first Democratic Latina governor among other firsts.

In the 2024 election cycle, EMILYs List’s independent expenditure arm Women Vote spent over half of its budget on behalf of women of color candidates.