Our Mission
The Women’s Congressional Policy Institute (WCPI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization whose mission is to bring together a community of bipartisan women policymakers and trusted partners to advance issues of importance to women, develop the next generation of women leaders, and foster a more effective and representative democracy.
Our Vision
We envision an effective, functional, and representative democracy that effects positive change in the lives of women and girls.
Our Guiding Principles
WCPI is committed to core values that, along with our mission, guide our work and shape the culture of our organization.
1. We are committed to bipartisanship. Encouraging policy priorities that span the partisan divide helps us foster solutions important to all women.
2. We are committed to cultivating women’s leadership. While a record number of women currently serve in Congress, there remains a dearth of women in leadership positions in the public policy arena. We seek to empower women to lead on Capitol Hill and in public policy.
3. We are committed to representative democracy. Through our programs, we are working to build a democracy that is more effective and brings more women and women of color into policy discussions.
4. We are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our board, staff, programs, and events reflect our goal to empower voices that often are underrepresented in public policy dialogues and create a culture of mutual respect and shared success.
5. We are committed to being trusted convenors with a proven track record of bringing bipartisan women policymakers and trusted partners together to share expertise and knowledge.
Our History
Established in 1995 after the House of Representatives voted to eliminate the staff and funding for all caucus organizations, including the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus (formerly the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues), WCPI fills a critical role in the policy and advocacy community. As a 501(c)(3) organization, WCPI does not lobby or take positions on legislation or policy.
Over the years, WCPI, formerly known as Women’s Policy, Inc., has worked to strengthen and expand the capacity of the Women’s Caucus through its briefings and meetings for women Members of Congress and their staff, both to bring them closer together across party lines and to encourage bipartisan policy priorities to advance issues of interest to women and their families.
WCPI has worked more recently to build and expand the pipeline of young women leaders, through its congressional fellowship program, internship program, and special events, such as Take Our Daughters to Congress Day. “Joint Session,” WCPI’s bicameral, bipartisan program for women chiefs of staff, committee staff directors, and senior leadership staff provides, opportunities for networking and professional development among senior women leaders on Capitol Hill. These efforts together can contribute to improving the functioning of Congress as an institution.
To learn more about WCPI, click here to see our recently released 2023 Annual Report.