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Division of Equity and Social Justice
Division of Equity and Social Justice

Our commitment to equity

Who we are

The Division of Equity and Social Justice (DESJ) consists of several offices focused on advancing equity in government. Our offices center children; women; workers; immigrants; LGBTQ+ people; individuals with Limited English Proficiency; individuals with disabilities; and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Person smiling in crowd with arm in the air, wearing a sash that reads "Votes for Women", at rally celebrating the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote, diverse crowd

Who do we focus on, and why?

Exclusionary practices, policies, and laws put in place by Government many decades ago continue to have a multi-generational impact on our communities. Our commitment to equity is maintained in supporting communities who have been historically impacted by these exclusionary practices, causing detriment to income, education, community safety, housing, health, and wealth accumulation.

At DESJ we have a shared responsibility and goal for everyone to have full and equal access to information, services, resources, opportunities, and power, to improve outcomes for all. To achieve this, we developed a Pro-Equity approach that guides our work across DESJ while centering data and community.

Young person in crowd speaking through a megaphone

Our pro-equity approaches

Change the narrative

Normalize conversations to advance equity in government.

Partnerships and community engagement

Cultivate partnerships for collective impact.

Subject matter expertise

Foster accountability and policy leadership to advance DESJ priorities.

Policy analysis

Improve public policy and management through research and evaluation.

Transformational change

Transform systems, structures, and policies that perpetuate inequality.

Data, evaluation, and accountability

Build accessible data infrastructures and identify solutions to improve equity.

At DESJ, we believe that as government leaders committed to equity, we have the power to change the narrative from a government that harms to a government that can repair.

The Strategic Plan

The purpose of this document is to increase transparency and accountability as we reinforce equity in our work and throughout the County.

Read Strategic Plan 2022

Division of Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan cover