|
|
Massachusetts Commission
on the Status of Women |
|
|
         
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women was enacted by law in May 1998. The legislation was inspired by the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in September 1995. One result of this conference was the Beijing Platform for Action, which recommended that the state and the federal government support councils, commissions, networks, and other organizations that focus on women’s issues.
Specifically, the Platform directed state governments to "form and adequately fund Women’s Commissions in all states and territories where they do not already exist" (Building on Beijing: United States NGOs Shape a Women's National Action Agenda, published by The Stanley Foundation July 1997.) For more information about the Beijing Platform, please visit the United Nations website or the U.N. Women Watch website.
Massachusetts' delegates to the Beijing conference returned determined that Massachusetts would have its own Women’s Commission. Their passion helped to create a coalition of women that met regularly over the course of several year to bring this dream to fruition. In the end, with the help of many, particularly state legislators, they were able to fashion a unique and model Commission- with appointing authority shared by the Executive and Legislative branches. When the Commission was created, it was included as a line item in the state budget.
Click here to view the Legislative Bill that created the Commission.
|
|
