Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy

Four women sit in a group discussion

About the Center

The Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy illuminates gender-based disparities through research, teaching, and public engagement. Our work is grounded in three key values:

  • Intersectionality. Gender inequality does not exist apart from discrimination based on race, class, sexual orientation, national origin, or other factors. Our research and policy approaches must account for the unique lived experiences that arise from overlapping structural inequalities. 
  • Holistic Perspective. Gender is not a binary category, and gender issues span nearly all areas of public policy.
  • Public Engagement. Community partnerships and real-world learning opportunities are essential to connect research to practice, and ultimately influence public policy towards greater gender equality.

Formed in 1985, the Center was the nation’s first comprehensive teaching, research, and outreach center devoted to women and public policy. We build on this legacy today as we work to provide students, researchers, policymakers, and the broader public with tools to better understand how public policy impacts gender equality in our local communities, throughout the United States, and around the world. 

The Gender Policy Report

The Gender Policy Report blog, produced by the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy, offers diverse perspectives on how public policy matters for gender equality across a range of issues, from criminal justice to education to immigration. Our mission is to take the best insights from research and make them accessible to the public in a way that is timely for addressing serious policy challenges.
Read the Gender Policy Report.

CWGPP Spotlight

two women sitting together looking at their laptops
Annual Monetary Contribution of Unpaid Carework to Minnesota's Economy. Pie Chart indicating men complete 40% while women complete 60% of unpaid carework
wage gap ethnicity chart
How representative is Minnesota's democracy?

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In the Media