Division 35: American Psychological Association

Div. 35: Society for the Psychology of Women provides an organizational base for all feminists, women and men of all national origins, who are interested in teaching, research, or practice in the psychology of women. The division recognizes a diversity of women's experiences which result from a variety of factors, including ethnicity, culture, language, socioeconomic status, age, and sexual orientation. The division promotes feminist research, theories, education, and practice toward understanding and improving the lives of girls and women in all their diversities; encourages scholarship on the social construction of gender relations across multicultural contexts; applies its scholarship to transforming the knowledge base of psychology; advocates action toward public policies that advance equality and social justice; and seeks to empower women in community, national, and global leadership. VISION STRATEGIC GOALS Multiculturalism and Diversity Anchored in the understanding of gender, SPW is committed to building bridges among and across diverse populations and organizations; having a diverse, inclusive membership; being a well-known, accessible place of renewal, networking, sisterhood, and friendship; and serving as a model of the effective integration of diversity. Social Justice and Action SPW is committed to promoting respect, dignity, and quality of life for all by implementing action goals and projects that significantly impact the status and welfare of women and girls, eliminate prejudice and inequity, and transform society. By translating feminist psychological theory and research to make it relevant to people’s everyday lived experiences, using knowledge to inform and improve the lives of women and all people, and taking our knowledge base from meeting rooms to the living rooms of the world, we collaborate with others to impact social policy and promote social justice and equity. Collaboration SPW provides a forum in which sisterhood is practiced and celebrated. We build bridges between feminist psychology and local and global community activists, among and across diverse populations and organizations. We partner with other divisions and groups to promote social justice, equity, and quality of life through scholarship, practice, education, and social action. We explore innovative means to promote collaboration, including the use of advances in technological communication. Leadership SPW is committed to developing feminist leaders, mentoring women across the professional lifespan to become leaders in organizations that significantly impact the status and welfare of women and girls. Applying Feminist Psychology SPW is committed to infusing feminist thinking and scholarship in psychological science, practice, public policy, education, and APA governance; building bridges between feminist psychology and local and global community activists; improving the mental and physical health of women across the lifespan; mentoring women across the professional spectrum and life cycle; increasing support for feminist research, scholarship, and practice; promoting science and practice of feminist psychology that is integrative, accessible, and user friendly; developing feminist leaders; and providing a forum in which sisterhood is practiced and celebrated. Transforming APA In order to transform the field of psychology, SPW serves as a voice for women in APA, as well as in broader society. SPW advances the science and practice of the psychology of women; works to increase the representation of feminist psychologists throughout the APA governance structure; collaborates with other APA divisions to integrate issues of diversity among themselves and into the vision of APA as an organization; works to redefine ethical psychological practice to include an emphasis on social and cultural context and social change; and promotes social justice, attention to social and cultural context, and the need for social change as central foci of APA. Feminist Process SPW strives to model feminist principles in the way it conducts its business. Through the use of feminist process, we seek to balance continuity of personnel with introducing new voices; balance inclusion of many views with efficient use of meeting time and operations; articulate clear and current policy in an updated handbook; promote sustainability of the organization; exercise sound stewardship of financial resources; use our funds to accomplish strategic goals; manage transitions of personnel thoroughly and respectfully; and acknowledge the hard work and contributions of all of our members. Promoting the Organization To fulfill our mission of promoting feminist psychology, SPW must attend to external as well as internal constituents. Therefore, we must devote systematic attention to public relations. We must share information about current projects and agendas that describe what the organization and its members are working on; seek recognition as the voice of feminist psychology inside and outside of APA; promote SPW’s status as both a science and a practice division; and continually seek novel ways to transmit information about issues of importance to diverse women, gender issues, and feminist psychology to the profession, the media and the public at large.