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Overview of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women

This section describes the makeup and responsibilities of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
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Overview

The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) was established by Section 66 of Chapter 3 of the Massachusetts General Laws as an independent agency that is not subject to the control of any other Commonwealth department or agency. MCSW operates under the direction of a 19-member board of commissioners whose members serve three-year terms. In accordance with Section 66, five commissioners are appointed by the Governor, four are appointed by the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, four are appointed by the President of the Massachusetts Senate, and six are appointed by the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators or its successor organization.

According to the MCSW website,

The purpose of the Commission is to advance women and girls toward full equity in all areas of life and to promote rights and opportunities for all women and girls. The mission of the Commission is to provide a permanent, effective voice for women and girls across Massachusetts. The Commission stands for fundamental freedoms, basic human rights and the full enjoyment of life for all women and girls throughout their lives.

The website states that in order to accomplish this, MCSW is authorized to perform a variety of activities, such as the following:

  • Advise executive and legislative bodies on the effect of proposed legislation on women
  • Inform leaders of business, education, health care, state and local governments and the communications media of issues pertaining to women
  • Provide referrals and serve as a resource of information on issues pertaining to women
  • Identify and recommend qualified women for positions at all levels of government
  • Promote and facilitate collaboration among local women’s commissions and among women’s organizations in the state
  • Serve as a liaison between government and private interest groups concerned with issues affecting women
  • Assess programs and practices in all state agencies as they affect women.

In addition, there are 11 regional commissions2 that help expand MCSW’s reach. The website states,

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 Commissions’ 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.

During our audit period, MCSW was staffed by an executive director, a program director, and several volunteer interns.

2.     MCSW’s website lists the regional commissions based on the geographic areas they represent, as follows: Berkshire County, Bristol County, Cape and Islands, Eastern Regional, Essex County, Hampden County, Hampshire-Franklin, MetroWest, Plymouth County, Upper Middlesex, and Worcester County.

Date published: August 27, 2020

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