Here we are, well into 2026, and I found myself wondering how women’s ERGs are doing.
As you may know, the conversation around DEI is… complicated. Some companies have pulled back on the language. Others have reorganized programs or folded initiatives into broader talent strategies.
So it seemed like a good moment to check in.
What’s interesting is that women’s ERGs are still very much in play. In fact, in many organizations they are becoming more structured and more closely connected to business priorities like engagement, leadership development, and retention.
But as tends to happen in organizations, solving one problem usually introduces a new one.
How do you make something visible when much of its value happens through conversations, mentoring relationships, and connections that unfold over time?
To the people inside an ERG, that value is obvious. Members build relationships with colleagues they might not otherwise meet. They gain exposure to leaders across the organization. They find mentors, sponsors, and opportunities to grow.
From the outside, though, a lot of that activity can be hard to see. Organizations tend to value what they can easily see.
And when the work stays invisible, expecting others to understand it is...optimistic. In most organizations, seeing is believing.
The good news is that making ERG impact more visible doesn’t require a major communications campaign. Small shifts in how ERGs describe and share their work can go a long way.
when something is hard to see inside an organization, it can also be harder for others to fully understand the role it plays."
Try This
One simple way ERGs can make their impact easier to understand is by developing a short, consistent way to describe the group’s work.
In many organizations, ERG leaders rotate regularly. New volunteers step in, different people facilitate meetings, and events are organized by different committees. Over time, the way the ERG describes itself can start to shift depending on who is speaking and who the audience is.
At one event, the group might be introduced as a community.
At another, as a professional development forum.
Elsewhere, as a mentoring network.
None of these descriptions are wrong.
But when the language changes every time, it becomes harder for others in the organization to form a clear picture of what the ERG actually does.
when the language changes every time, it becomes harder for others in the organization to form a clear picture of what the ERG actually does."
Organizations, like people, tend to remember the simplest explanation they hear most often.
Which means ERGs benefit from having a short, shared way of describing their work.
That doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, the shorter the better.
Many ERGs find it helpful to create a brief orientation statement that leaders can use at the beginning of meetings or events. It can also serve as a quick re-orientation for longtime members.
Something as simple as:
“Our ERG focuses on three things: building community, supporting professional development, and increasing leadership visibility for women across the organization.”
When that description is used consistently in meetings, emails, leadership updates, or recruiting conversations, it gradually becomes the way people inside the organization understand the group.
Over time, that consistency helps others see how the ERG contributes to the broader goals of the company.
Because inside organizations, language does more than describe work.
It’s how people learn what the work actually is.
