Announcement of the U.S. Department of State’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The Department of State is releasing the essential components of its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan.  Per Executive Order 14035 on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley and her team have worked diligently with Department stakeholders and experts to finalize the Department’s five-year DEIA Strategic Plan and establish the Department’s first-ever Demographic Baseline Report.  The DEIA Strategic Plan was developed with input from all segments across our workforce.

The DEIA Strategic Plan will make workforce data more accessible to Department leadership teams and employees alike, set goals for recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, enhance the reasonable accommodations process, and establish concrete measures to promote greater inclusivity for women, employees with disabilities, LGBTQI+ employees, and religious, racial, and ethnic minorities.  This strategic plan ensures we have the best team representing the American people abroad because it embodies and celebrates the full diversity and excellence of our country.

During my confirmation hearing, I said that I would judge the success of my tenure, in part, by how well I lead the Department to be more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible. Together, we will make the Department a more effective organization, better equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century.