Background on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility 

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (“DEI” or “DEIA”) efforts are rooted in the fundamental belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and have a fair chance to succeed. These efforts are intended to remove artificial barriers that limit access to equal opportunity at school, in the workplace, and in society more broadly, so that people of all backgrounds—including but not limited to women, people of color, LGBTQI+ people, and people with disabilities—can compete and succeed based on their qualifications. They can include things as simple as anti-bias trainings; affinity groups that are open to everyone; and efforts to ensure broad admissions, recruitment, and fair pay.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Efforts are Under Attack 

Starting on Day 1 of his presidency, Trump has rolled back longstanding policies that promote equal opportunity, labelling them as “illegal DEI.” He has used diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility as a scapegoat to fire federal workers, gut civil rights enforcement offices, and threaten businesses, nonprofits, and universities—including by cutting off their funding and imposing onerous conditions on organizations that engage in so-called illegal DEI, such as groups serving survivors of gender-based violence.

These actions are an attack on our core civil rights and a betrayal of the promise of equal opportunity. The Trump administration is trying to overturn decades of progress for women, people of color, and LGBTQI+ people, in a move straight out of the Project 2025 playbook.

It is important to remember that the President does not have the power to change the Constitution or federal civil rights laws, and his actions directly contradict longstanding interpretations of the law. NWLC and our partners will continue to challenge these attacks and hold the administration accountable.

How NWLC Is Defending Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity 

• We are pushing back when the administration attacks our civil rights—for example, when the administration rolls back regulations that help women and workers of color access good jobs; pressures employers into dropping voluntary diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; or removes regulations that allow schools to take affirmative steps to address historical and structural barriers that has had led to women and girls’ underrepresentation in fields like STEM.
• We are pushing schools not to capitulate to the Trump administration’s anti-civil rights agenda and reminding them of their continued obligations under the law.
• We are filing lawsuits against the administration, challenging the unlawful new conditions it has attempted to impose on grant recipients that require them to certify they are not and will not support diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs. These restrictions would force nonprofit organizations—including domestic violence and sexual assault organizations, housing and homelessness organizations, and organizations that help women access non-traditional occupations—to choose between losing critical funding or facing severe legal and financial risks.