Department of Public Management professors Maria J. D’Agostino, Ph.D., and Nicole M. Elias, Ph.D., are committed to advancing gender equity through public service and public policy research. In 2013, they founded the Women in the Public Sector (WPS) research organization at John Jay College, and recently they announced the rebranding of WPS to the Initiative for Gender Equity in the Public Sector (IGEPS) to incorporate the organization’s core value of inclusivity. “Our aim for the Initiative for Gender Equity in the Public Sector is to conduct evidence-based research to make public service and public policy more equitable for all gender identities,” says D’Agostino. “We’re conducting research on gender equity in public administration and policy; diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace; sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression; and gender equity education. This research is used to help public administrators with workshops and training, workplace policy and program assessments, research support, and one-on-one consulting,” says Elias. We connected with D’Agostino and Elias to learn how their work is moving the needle forward on creating equitable spaces in the public sector and how inclusivity for all can help shape a better tomorrow.

What brought about the idea to change the organization’s name from “Women in the Public Sector” to the “Initiative for Gender Equity in the Public Sector”?
MD: For Nicole and I, the challenges of these last two years have served as an inflection point for a lot of the changes we made. It was important to us to ensure our organization reflected our current core values, which centers on inclusivity. Historically, gender has focused primarily on the male-female dichotomy. However, over the past two decades, there has been a positive shift in public understanding. Monumental strides have been made in the expanded rights of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) that go beyond the traditional male-female binary. When we originally set out to establish this research organization back in 2013, our primary focus was on women. This was because of the lack of representation of women in public sector roles, especially leadership positions, and the inequities that women often face in public service and public policy. While these problems still exist at a scale that is unacceptable, we realized over time the need to expand our focus to include all underrepresented genders for more equitable treatment of all individuals.

With the new name, is there an updated mission that you want our community to know about?
NE: Our mission has always been about gender equity. We have just updated our name to reflect that for more clarity and alignment. Our previous mission focused more on educating, engaging, and fostering a consortium of groups about gender issues in public service, and while this is still certainly a part of what we do, the big shift for us has been in our partnerships with government agencies and other public sector organizations. Our new mission is to make public service and public policy more equitable for all gender identities. By partnering with public sector organizations, we equip administrators with the best tools and resources out there to make informed decisions for achieving gender equity in the workplace.

Can you tell us a little more about the IGEPS Graduate Fellowship Program?
MD: We launched the Graduate Fellowship Program this fall for master’s degree and doctoral students enrolled in Public Administration and Policy programs, or related fields. Fellows will gain valuable research skills while also receiving mentorship from gender equity scholars and practitioners. This is an opportunity for IGEPS Graduate Fellows to work on research projects and participate in public forums on gender equity in the public sector, with the goal of publishing their work. The application process for the 2022-2023 academic year IGEPS Graduate Fellowship will open during the Spring 2022 semester.

What would you say to someone who is concerned that the “women’s equity focus” could be lost?
NE: We will always strive to make the public sector work for all genders by seeking to advance equity where it’s lacking the most, and the truth of the matter is that women and other underrepresented groups still face a substantial amount of inequity. But what we have learned over the past nine years is that there is no single “women’s experience.” Intersecting identities and experiences make gender one of many factors that impact equity in the public sector. There is much more that needs to be done to support women in the pursuit of greater gender equity. For example, women in the federal workforce still make 93 cents for every dollar earned by men. At the same time, it’s important we seek inclusivity as we strive for equity among all genders, which means recognizing a broader spectrum of identities, while also finding ways to unite all of us in this common purpose that can and should benefit everyone.

When should we look forward to the new IGEPS?
MD: We officially unveiled the new name, logo, and website last month, which we were very excited about. Many in the community have known us as Women in the Public Sector for over a decade, so we are still working to get people reacquainted with the new organization. However, we will continue to work with our past partners at the College, including: External Affairs, the Women’s Center, and the Department of Public Management. We will also continue to work with the Commission on Gender Equity along with other New York City agencies. We believe when public policies are thoughtfully designed to be inclusive of diversity and fair to all gender identities, everyone benefits—from individuals and organizations to society at large.