Women's Fiction Writers Association Inclusion Statement and Code of Conduct

The Women's Fiction Writers Association is a special community. We are a virtual group, but we talk and share intimately on our Facebook pages. In the years since WFWA was born, we've grown substantially, and the Board of Directors feels the need for a clear policy regarding those spaces and discussions.

WFWA has a zero-tolerance policy for prejudice based on, but not limited to, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, religion, or political affiliation.

This code of conduct is being implemented to prevent abuse or harassment within the Facebook groups and all official and unofficial WFWA social media platforms, including but not limited to, satellite Facebook groups such as the WFWA Peer Accountability Forum, the Sub Support Group, and other groups that are member-generated rather than leadership-created:

• Any member who belittles a marginalized person’s experience, in word or spirit, will receive one warning and their post will be removed. On the second offense, they will be suspended from the group for six months. 

• Any member who continues to demonstrate racist or harmful views toward others will have their membership revoked.

In addition, the Board is committed to developing programs and implementing outreach efforts intended to diversify our membership and foster inclusion so that all members have opportunities to succeed and build their careers. We invite diverse perspectives and are dedicated to building an inclusive and accessible community. 

As a leader in the publishing industry, WFWA supports all writers of women's fiction and will intentionally strive to build a climate and culture of empathy and compassion. We welcome and invite dialogue and suggestions of how we can best serve our members in this and other endeavors. I can be reached via email at [email protected] or via the contact form on our home page.

I am proud to lead such an incredible community of writers and look forward to making it better and stronger for all of our members.

--
Jacki Kelly

President, WFWA