June 1, 2023
Annual Report
FY23
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN (MCSW)
Table of Contents
Remarks from FY2023 Chair .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Commissioners, Staff, and Interns.................................................................................................................................. 4
MCSW State Commissioners and Officers ................................................................................................................ 4
MCSW Staff................................................................................................................................................................ 5
MCSW Interns ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
A brief history of the MCSW: Our Mission, Charges of the Commission ....................................................................... 1
Organizational Chart .................................................................................................................................................. 2
MCSW Regional Commissions....................................................................................................................................... 2
Financial Statement (FY23 Appropriation + FY22 PAC) ............................................................................................. 14
Programs and Impact ................................................................................................................................................... 14
Public Hearings ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
Provincetown Hearing Summary ......................................................................................................................... 15
Pittsfield Hearing Summary ................................................................................................................................. 17
Lynn Hearing Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 18
Girls Empowerment Leadership Initiative (GELI) ..................................................................................................... 20
MCSW Community Conversations ........................................................................................................................... 21
MCI Framingham ................................................................................................................................................. 21
Massachusetts Parentage Act (MPA) Community Conversation......................................................................... 21
Smith College Community Conversation ............................................................................................................. 22
Advocacy Day .......................................................................................................................................................... 22
Commonwealth Heroines ......................................................................................................................................... 15
25th Anniversary ....................................................................................................................................................... 23
Speaker's Bureau & Leadership ................................................................................................................................... 24
Women’s Rights History Trail Taskforce .................................................................................................................. 28
Greater Boston Area’s International Women’s Day.................................................................................................. 30
Signing the BWWC Compact ................................................................................................................................... 31
LGBTQ Statement .................................................................................................................................................... 21
2023-2024 Legislative Priorities...................................................................................................................................... 1
Community Partner Thank You.............................................................................................................................. 5
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 1
Remarks from FY2023 Chair
In so many ways, the past year has been incredibly transformative for your Massachusetts Commission on the Status
of Women. Like so many of you, we have come together to rebuild what the Commission is and will be after the
lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – and I am so proud to say that we have emerged on the other side
stronger than ever, and ready to tackle whatever comes our way on behalf of the women in this great
Commonwealth.
In 2022, we hired MCSW Executive Director, Shaitia
Spruell. A former Commissioner herself, a young
mother, and a Woman of Color, Shaitia has charted
uncertain waters with the grace and ease of a leader
that was born for this work.
For 25 years, the MCSW operated on a shoestring
budget, committed to changing the lives for women
and girls across the Commonwealth with often only
one paid staff member and a fleet of interns and
commissioners committed to the mission. However,
after receiving a historic budget supplement from
outgoing Governor Charlie Baker, the Commission
was adequately funded for the first time since our
inception in 1998.
It brings me great joy to see the many ways in which
the MCSW team has grown. In a short period of time,
Executive Director Spruell has overhauled the
Commission’s infrastructure, rising to meet the
challenge and empowering a new generation of
leaders with the professional and business skills
required to catapult the Commission into the next 25
years. Fully staffed, with 6 new full-time staff members
for the first time – and fully seated, with 19 State Commissioners for the first time since the pandemic began – we are
ready for the opportunities that lay ahead. This growth has enabled us to reach deeper into our communities, host
additional events, launch exciting programming to further elevate women and girls through real impact, and much,
much more.
I am so proud to be the Chairwoman of the MCSW at this pivotal moment in time. Kicking off our first in-person public
hearing in more than two years in Provincetown, we hosted two more public hearings across the Commonwealth,
from one end of the State to the other, in addition to a variety of other events including Community Conversations,
advocacy, and Girls Empowerment Leadership Initiative. The incredible testimonies at these hearings only further
underscored the crucial work of our regional commissions.
Furthermore, we couldn’t be prouder to continue our work to advance the lives of women and girls through policy
change, especially given the historic nature of representation now in the corner office. The election of Governor
Maura Healey, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, and Andrea Campbell elected as the first Black Attorney General in the
Commonwealth made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to have so many women in the corner office. Our
policy work continues to be at the heart of everything we do, and the launch of our 2023 Legislative Priorities at the
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 2
beginning of the 193rd Legislative Session reflect our commitment to change. More than 200 women attended our first
in-person Advocacy Day in more than three years – we're working together to make change for all women and girls
across the Commonwealth. We look forward to working with alongside all of our appointing authorities: the Governor,
the Senate President, the Speaker of the House, and the Caucus of Women Legislators to move the needle on policy
that can change our lives for the better.
And finally, as a proud lesbian woman and mother, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight the many ways this
Commission is working to represent the myriad of facets that comprise our lives. The launch of our brand-new
website intentionally incorporated aspects of accessibility on par with the White House. We’re committed to not only
principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff and regional commissioners, but also as a commitment
we hold to the public in making our work accessible and welcoming to all. My wife and daughter are Deaf, and I am
so appreciative that the MCSW has made a commitment to ensure that all our public hearings and events are
accessible in American Sign Language and other language accommodations. We’re committed to translating our
materials into the top 10 languages of the Commonwealth and incorporate whatever accommodations that may be
needed to ensure women and children thrive. I am proud to be a part of an organization that champions inclusion.
As the Chairwoman of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, it brings me great joy to celebrate
such a momentous year alongside all of you. While there is still much uncertainty, inequity, and discrimination in the
world, I draw hope from my Sister Commissioners and our collective work as a community to change the lives of
women and girls in the Commonwealth for the better.
In solidarity and gratitude,
Dr. Sarah Glenn-Smith
Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) Chairwoman
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 3
Commissioners, Staff, and Interns
MCSW State Commissioners and Officers
Dr. Sarah Glenn-Smith, Holliston – MCSW Chairwoman
Dr. Aisha Miller, Mattapan – MCSW Vice-Chair
Christine Monska, Auburndale – MCSW Secretary & GELI Subcommittee Chair
Nina Liang, Quincy – MCSW Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair
Denella Clark, Hyde Park – Immediate Past Chairwoman & 25th Anniversary Committee Chair
Carol Campbell, Amherst
Divya Chaturvedi, Wilmington
Tanisha Arena, Springfield
Rebecca Bact, Auburndale – Program & Planning Committee Chair
Guimel DeCarvalho, Natick – Legislative & Public Policy Committee Vice-Chair
Marianne Fleckner, Westford – Finance Committee Vice-Chair
Jean Fox, Freetown – Program and Planning Committee Vice-Chair
Liz Friedman, Northampton – Program & Planning Committee Secretary
Allison Goldberg, Marblehead
Audrey Hall, Framingham – Finance Committee Secretary
Leslie-Ann McGee, Kingston – Legislative & Public Policy Committee Secretary
Sonia Shah, Natick
Kim Shea, Wilmington
Mary-dith Tuitt, Boston – Legislative & Public Policy Committee Chair
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 4
MCSW Staff
Shaitia Spruell, Lancaster
Executive Director
Marjorie C. Bernadeau-Alexandre, Roslindale
Administration & Finance Director
Tina Games, Harwich
Regional Commissions Director
Ellen Moorhouse, Springfield
Communications and Marketing Director
Shalaya West, Boston
Program and Research Director
Darlene Kelter, Lynnfield
Administrative Assistant
Raven Harris, Springfield
MCSW Clerk & Executive Assistant
MCSW Interns
The MCSW's internship program provides students
with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in
public policy, research, communications, and
community outreach related to women's issues.
Interns work closely with the commission staff to
support ongoing projects and initiatives, as well as to
develop new projects and programs. We welcomed
12 paid interns this year from a variety of educational
institutions.
Elli Cho, Tufts University
Campbell Devlin, Tufts University
Camier Hall, Boston College
Yanli Lu, Boston College Jada Alexander, Brandeis University
Jada Okoye, New York University Madison Rodriguez, Western New England
Amelia Oliver, Tufts University University
Julia Steiner, Tufts University Jaden Wong, Boston University
Jaylene Tiscareno, Boston College Nawal Khan, Tufts University
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 5
A Brief History of the MCSW:
Our Mission, Charges of the Commission
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) is an independent state agency legislatively
created in 1998 to provide a permanent and effective voice for women and girls. The Commission’s enacting
legislation was inspired by the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women, held in September 1995 in Beijing, China.
Massachusetts’ delegates to the Conference, including then Massachusetts First Lady Susan Roosevelt Weld,
returned determined that the Commonwealth would have its own Women’s Commission. This passion and
commitment led to the creation of a coalition of dedicated women and brought this dream to fruition.
MCSW is comprised of 19 volunteer state commissioners, 11 regional bodies, dedicated staff members, and
seasonal interns. MCSW state commissioners are appointed by one of four appointing authorities: the Governor, the
Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Caucus of Women Legislators.
Commissioners serve in a volunteer capacity, and meet monthly, September through June. In addition, each
commissioner is a member of at least one standing committee that generally meets monthly.
The standing committees include:
• Legislative and Public Policy
• Program and Planning
• Finance Committee
• Executive Committee
For more than 25 years now, the Commission and our regional bodies have worked to advance the rights and
opportunities of all women and girls across Massachusetts, regardless of age, race, color, creed, abilities, language,
socio-economic status, immigration status, sexual orientation, or gender assigned at birth.
The mission of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) is to provide a permanent, effective
voice for women and girls across Massachusetts and to advocate for the achievement of a happier, healthier, and
more equitable life for the women of the Commonwealth as essential members of our community.
MCSW is Empowered to:
• Serve as a liaison between government and private interest groups concerned with issues affecting women,
• Analyze and report on the status of women in the Commonwealth,
• Counsel executive and legislative bodies on the effect of proposed legislation on women,
• Provide referrals and serve as a resource of information on issues pertaining to women for women and
leaders in business, education, healthcare, media, and state and local government,
• Endorse and facilitate collaboration among local women's commissions and among women’s organizations
in the state.
At the end of 2022, the MCSW welcomed three new commissioners; Carol Campbell, Divya Chaturvedi, and Kimberly
Shea.
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 1
Organizational Chart
MCSW Regional Commissions
The MCSW’s 11 Regional Commissions expand the reach of its mission MCSW’s Regional Commissions:
across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Modeled after the MCSW, the
11 county and regional women’s commissions were legislatively created to • Berkshire County
study and report on the status of women and girls in their geographical • Bristol County
areas, and to provide permanent and effective voices for women and girls. • Cape and Islands
Each county and regional commission reports its findings and activities • Eastern Regional
annually to MCSW. • Essex County
• Hampden County
Regional Commissions are comprised of 9-13 volunteer members who have • Hampshire-Franklin
had prior experience working towards the improvement of the status of • MetroWest
women, and exist to provide a positive and effective voice for women and • Plymouth County
girls in their respective regions. Commissioners are drawn from diverse • Upper Middlesex
racial, ethnic, religious, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, and • Worcester County
socio-economic backgrounds throughout the state.
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 2
Regional Commissions are comprised of 9-13 volunteer members who have had prior experience working towards
the improvement of the status of women, and exist to provide a positive and effective voice for women and girls in
their respective regions. Commissioners are drawn from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, age, sexual orientation,
gender identification, and socio-economic backgrounds throughout the state.
Regional Commission's duties include studying, reviewing and reporting on the status of women in the county;
promoting and facilitating collaboration among local women’s organizations; recommending policies that benefit
women to agencies, officers of the state, and local government; and holding fact-finding hearings and other public
forums as it may deem necessary.
MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 3
State Liaison: Christine Monska
Regional Commissioners: Andrea Wadsworth, Chair (Lee); Sarah Gillooly, Vice Chair (Pittsfield); Marissa Dubecky
Meehan, Secretary (Richmond); Laura Cabrera (Pittsfield); Carly Garofano (Pittsfield); Shela Levante (Pittsfield);
Barbara Rosenthal (Williamstown)
Regional Area: The Berkshire County Commission on the Status of Women represents all cities and towns in
Berkshire County including Adams, Alford, Bec