Office of Minority and Women Inclusion

The SEC established the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) in July of 2011, as required by Section 342 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.  OMWI is responsible for all matters related to diversity in management, employment and business activities at the SEC.

Workforce Diversity and Workplace Inclusion

The SEC is committed to providing a workplace that includes people of diverse backgrounds and fully utilizes their talents to achieve its mission. The SEC believes that a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace culture enhance performance and its ability to achieve its mission. OMWI is committed to taking steps to ensure that minorities and women are represented at all levels of the agency's workforce, including in supervisory and management positions.

Supplier Diversity

The SEC is committed to the fair utilization of minority-owned and women-owned businesses, regardless of size, in all of the agency's business activities. OMWI also has responsibility to ensure the fair inclusion and utilization of diverse suppliers. OMWI is actively involved in the agency's acquisition review process to expand the breadth of contracting opportunities available to minority-owned and women-owned businesses, and to advocate for their inclusion in the competitive contract award process.

Regulated Entities’ Diversity

The SEC is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion among its regulated entities.  The SEC joined with other federal financial regulators in issuing the “Joint Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities Regulated by the Agencies” (Joint Standards) in a final interagency policy statement dated June 10, 2015.   The Joint Standards provide a framework for regulated entities to create and strengthen their diversity policies and practices in several key areas—including their organizational commitment to diversity, workforce and employment practices, procurement and business activities, practices to promote transparency of organizational diversity and inclusion, and entities’ self-assessments.  For more information about the Joint Standards and entities’ self-assessments, visit the Regulated Entities’ Diversity page.

SEC Contract Standard for Contractor Workforce Inclusion

OMWI takes steps to ensure SEC contractors confirm their commitment to the fair inclusion of minorities and women in their workforces, and if applicable, the commitment of their subcontractors to workforce inclusion of minorities and women. Accordingly, a Contract Standard for Contractor Workforce Inclusion (Contract Standard) will be included in solicitations and contracts for services with a value of $100,000 or more. The Contract Standard was published for public comment in February 2015. (34-74239). OMWI conducts post-award reviews, referred to as “Good Faith Effort Reviews,” to determine whether contractors have complied with the Contract Standard.