Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh is a safe harbor that provides specialized care and support for survivors who have experienced all types of Domestic Violence (DV), from physical to emotional to financial. At WC&S, all survivors can find help. We know that anyone, including men, LGBTQIA+ people, and non-binary/gender non-conforming individuals, can be survivors of intimate partner violence. We embrace everyone without regard to gender, sexual identity, race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, language spoken, or any other factor. We welcome you as you are.

WC&S’ core values spell out SUCCESS, with E notably standing for Equity. We stand up, speak out, and take action for diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.  

WC&S staff includes people with disabilities, people of all genders and sexualities, people of color, and survivors of domestic violence. 

WC&S participates in the Vibrant Index Initiative, which is a collaboration between Vibrant Pittsburgh and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. The Vibrant Index is a voluntary diagnostic tool that identifies areas of success and areas for improvement of an organization’s practices, policies, and cultures as related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Each year, the Vibrant Index process presents a snapshot of the best practices being utilized by organizations and companies in the Pittsburgh region.

Decades ago, WC&S established the Diversity Committee, whose mission is to be the leader and bridge of intersectionality within Women’s Center & Shelter to help create an explicitly diverse and inclusive culture. The Diversity Committee, which is comprised of staff, recently conducted a full staff vote to identify priorities to increase learnings regarding DEI. The Committee meets regularly to encourage diversity and inclusivity within the organization. For example, they created a diversity library in a common space in the WC&S facilities.

In 2020, WC&S established the Equity & Action Collaborative (EAC), which is comprised of staff and Board. Through EAC, WC&S commits to using our platform to support social movements beyond IPV that address systemic oppression and institutional violence based on identity and culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, religion, disability, age, and more.