About Us
SGP is a global network of members committed to a gender-just world.
Who We Are
Gender specialists around the world are called upon to work with policy makers, governments, media, non-profit organizations, and businesses on a range of activities from gender mainstreaming, inclusion and integration to program design, research and evaluation, workplace diversity and inclusion, LGBTQI+ advocacy, gender-sensitive budgeting or policy analysis, and organizational auditing, and more. If you are applying an intersectional gender lens in your work or activism, The Society of Gender Professionals (SGP) is meant to be a community for you.
A number of professional organizations exist in many technical sectors serving gender specialists’ work, and many of these include subsets that focus on gender or feminist praxis. Yet SGP is the only cross-cutting association that currently exists to professionalize the gender field and meet the needs of a growing group of gender specialists across sectors and around the world.
The Society of Gender Professionals is a non-profit membership network of gender practitioners, academics, and activists dedicated to promoting feminist action and applied research, and raising the profile of gender expertise.
We strive to:
- Promote the development of intersectional gender expertise for professional practice;
- Strengthen connections between gender theory, policy, and practice;
- Promote member collaboration, network-building, mentorship, and (co-)leadership;
- Foster the production and dissemination of applied gender research;
- Provide a platform for the exchange of gender expertise and resources; and
- Advance gender justice in member communities through coordinated feminist action.
SGP’s vision is to be a global, cross-sectoral association of gender specialists, where members are empowered with the resources and networks they need to thrive in their careers and advance gender justice in their communities.
Academics
Researchers and academics who work on issues related to gender justice and equality often operate in silos; there is limited coordination and information-sharing between different fields of study. SGP welcomes academics from all fields, from political science and economics to anthropology, sociology, and women’s studies, to share their expertise, collaborate, and contribute to a nuanced understanding of gender norms worldwide.
Activists
By taking action to promote gender justice and confront inequalities, we are all activists in our own right. With SGP, those who advocate for more just and equitable laws and policies, respect for human rights, and the dignity of our most underserved communities can share information, ideas, strategies, and experiences with other members to find ways to make our activist efforts more effective.
Practitioners
Gender advisors, consultants, project managers, applied researchers, policy analysts, aid workers, and others who work on the frontlines of programs dealing with gender norms have a deep understanding of the challenges involved in promoting gender justice and institutionalizing more equal gender norms. Practitioners often work independently or may be the only source of gender expertise in their organizations. SGP practitioners offer different perspectives, experiences, and skill sets.
Get Involved!
Join a growing community of gender professionals around the world.
Background
The need for gender expertise has grown exponentially since the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in 1995. That year, the world reaffirmed the urgent need to protect the human rights of women and governments committed to systematically address gender inequalities in their societies through gender mainstreaming and gender integration. Since then, Gender Specialists have been recruited by governments, companies, and nonprofit organizations to help formulate policies, design programs, evaluate activities, train, teach, and mentor.
As the field of gender expertise grows, so does our need to formalize, organize, and standardize the profession. No professional associations currently exist for individuals whose careers revolve around gender-related research and practice. As new Gender Specialists enter the field, they often lack resources, networks, mentors, training, frameworks, and access to research, as well an intergenerational understanding of gender expertise.
SGP’s Bylaws
The SGP Bylaws were drafted and approved in 2018 and 2019, when SGP was initially registered. As an intersectional feminist organization, every effort is made to promote decentralized and non-hierarchical ways working, but SGP does have to meet basic regulatory and legal requirements in order to be able to function.
One of these requirements is the basic set of rules (“SGP Bylaws”) that we use to promote accountable, transparent and responsible governance, oversight and strategic co-leadership. We welcome any comments or feedback that members may have regarding the bylaws. Please submit public comments or feedback using the comment box below or send us a private email at info@genderprofessionals.org
Read more in the full SGP Bylaws
SGP Annual Reports
Policies
Honorarium Policy
SGP is proud to announce the launch of our Honorarium Policy for those providing their labor implementing SGP activities relating to anti-racism and/or anti-oppression. The Policy will go into effect beginning 1 September 2022.
Per the Racial Justice Task Force report 2021, certain identities are prioritized for honoraria, including Black-identifying or racialized people (generally termed Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) or Black & Minority Ethnicities (BAME)) and others who have been harmed by colonization and oppression based on their identity and social location. Under the policy, financial support is offered for activities such as facilitating discussions, hosting a book club, organizing or presenting at a Gender Café, or providing other learning opportunities relating to anti-racism and/or anti-oppression.
For details regarding eligibility, financial logistics, the request process, and definitions, please read the full SGP Honorarium Policy.
Professional Development policy
SGP is proud to publish its first Professional Development Policy, which outlines eligibility criteria for the distribution of professional development funds to members in need of financial support. The Policy will go into effect beginning 1 November 2022.
Per the Racial Justice Task Force report 2021, certain identities are prioritized for funding, including Black-identifying or racialized people (generally termed Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) or Black & Minority Ethnicities (BAME)) and others who have been harmed by colonization and oppression based on their identity and social location. Under the policy, financial support is offered up to a certain threshold to eligible members of the SGP community to pursue professional development that helps advance intersectional gender justice which could include opportunities such as webinars, conferences, training, workshops, courses, certifications, professional association memberships, journal subscriptions, or purchase of materials such as books or software, etc. Funding is contingent upon integrating the knowledge learned back into SGP’s membership and/or leadership through the recipient’s preferred activity.
For details regarding eligibility, financial logistics, the request process, and definitions, please read the full SGP Professional Development Policy.
