The Women’s Foundation of California is proud to introduce you to the 17th cohort of Women’s Policy Institute-State fellows, the Class of 2020.
More effective than a single lobby group, our Women’s Policy Institute (WPI) amplifies the voices of cisgender and transgender women, non-binary and genderqueer people, and transgender men throughout our state, training them to be policy experts and champions for racial, economic, and gender justice. WPI fellows reflect the diversity of California as well as the different types of organizations in the nonprofit sector advancing equity and justice.
Our fellows work on a range of issues impacting their communities, thus creating a multi-issue network that encompasses the breadth of the social justice movement. We are proud that our WPI-State Class of 2020 represents the diversity of California:
- 80% of fellows identify as people of color
- 56% Have at least one relative or loved one who is currently or formerly incarcerated
- 8% identify as gender queer, gender non conforming, transgender or gender expansive.
This year’s fellows range in age from 25-60. The cohort is made up of teams working in the issue areas of criminal justice reform, economic security, community health, reproductive health, rights and justice, and trauma services and prevention.
The first training retreat for the 2019-20 year was held in Sacramento September 23-26th. Fellows began to build community with each other, learned the fundamentals of public policy, met with legislative staffers, lobbyists and other experts in their fields, and began identifying potential bill ideas. We are thrilled to have such a powerful cohort and we look forward to sharing their accomplishments as this year’s WPI-State program is underway.
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