Eastern Regional Commission on the Status of Women

07/18/2026

📢 Who gets a seat at the table matters 📢

The decisions made by public boards and commissions impact our schools, healthcare, housing, transportation, public safety, and so much more. Yet too often, the people making those decisions don’t reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

The Parity on Boards Bill (H.3398 / S.2160) is an important step toward ensuring that appointed state boards and commissions better represent the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of Massachusetts.

When more voices are included, we create stronger policies, more equitable outcomes, and better government for everyone.

The Eastern Regional Commission on the Status of Women is proud to support this legislation because good governance requires everyone at the table.

💜 Join us in advocating for representation that reflects the people of Massachusetts by signing our Parity On Boards Bill Petition. Simply follow the QR code provided below💜

07/17/2026

Non-Binary Awareness Week | July 12–19

💛🤍💜🖤

This week, the Eastern Regional Commission on the Status of Women recognizes Non-Binary Awareness Week, a time to celebrate, uplift, and increase understanding of nonbinary people and their experiences.

Non-Binary Awareness Week, established in 2020, is observed during the week leading up to International Non-Binary People’s Day (July 14). It serves as an opportunity to foster awareness, challenge misconceptions, and promote inclusion in our communities, schools, workplaces, and public spaces.

Everyone deserves to be seen, respected, and valued for who they are. By learning more about gender diversity and listening to the voices of nonbinary individuals, we can help create communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

This week, we encourage you to:
💜 Learn about nonbinary identities.
🤍 Listen with empathy and an open mind.
🖤 Respect people’s names and pronouns.
💛 Help create spaces where everyone feels welcome and included.

Together, we can build a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

07/08/2026

🖤💛Happy Walker’s (Emancipation) Day, Massachusetts! 💛🖤

Today, we honor Quock (Kwaku) Walker, whose courageous fight for freedom helped shape the course of Massachusetts history.

Walker’s Day, also known as Emancipation Day, recognizes the legacy of the first enslaved African man in Massachusetts to successfully petition for and win his freedom. His determination became a powerful step toward ending slavery in our Commonwealth and serves as a reminder that justice is achieved through courage, resilience, and collective action.

As we reflect on this important day, we celebrate:
✨ Massachusetts’ legacy of freedom.
✨ The importance of preserving and honoring our history.
✨ The strength and resilience of our communities.
✨ Our responsibility to inspire future generations to continue the work of equity and justice.

At the Eastern Regional Commission on the Status of Women, we recognize that understanding our history empowers us to build a more just and equitable future for women, girls, families, and communities across Massachusetts.

A day to remember. A future to build. Together.

Happy Walker’s Day! 🤎💜🤎💜

06/19/2026

06/18/2026

Call your Massachusetts State Senator and Representatives today! Ask them to strongly support and co-sponsor H.1594 / S.1205 to protect survivors, secure families, and bring true legal equity to our courts.

Find your legislators here: www.malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

06/18/2026

Period dignity shouldn’t have a price tag or a zip code. Scotland paved the way—now it's our turn to deliver. Demand access, end the stigma, and let's get the I AM Bill passed!

05/28/2026

Understanding coercive control is a form of community protection. 🟣

If you're in or near Wayland, MA — or know someone who might benefit — on Tuesday, June 9th from 3:30-5:15pm, the Wayland Council on Aging will be holding a free community training on abusive and coercive control.

Dr. Mei-Ling Ellerman, a domestic abuse expert, will be leading an open session for survivors, town leaders, and allies covering:
🔹 The expanded legal definition of domestic abuse and how it helps more survivors access restraining orders
🔹 How to use the 209A and build a coercive control narrative for protection
🔹 Recognizing coercive control tactics — and how they evolve over time
🔹 How abusers create false narratives to isolate and discredit victims, especially post-separation

Registration is optional (QR code preferred). This is open to the public and funded by the Byrne JAG Federal Grant.

Awareness is one of the most powerful tools we have. Please share widely. 🔁
📍 8 Andrew Ave, Wayland MA 📅 Tuesday, June 9th | 3:30PM – 5:15PM + Q&A

03/19/2026

📣 This Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Eastern Regional Commission on the Status of Women is co-hosting a virtual event to raise awareness and mobilize advocacy for the Abusive Litigation bill (S.1205 / H.1594), now before the Judiciary Committee.

This legislation would prevent abusers from weaponizing the legal system to continue harming women and children across the Commonwealth. If the committee doesn’t act, survivors could lose this critical protection for another two years.

During the session, abusive litigation survivors will share their stories—clear, urgent proof of why this bill matters to families throughout our state.

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Y07UeF7qTWO2vA5dlPr6eA
Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women

11/19/2025

As Regional Commissioners we stand with our fellow Commissioner.

Statement on behalf of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women RE: Violence against trans women and trans women of color and the safety of Commissioner Byrd

Over the weekend, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW), an independent state agency committed to advancing the rights and equal opportunities for all women and girls in the Commonwealth, and specifically one of our Commissioners, Giselle Byrd, was the subject of a particularly vicious online attack that incited hateful language and violent rhetoric against one of our own. We stand in outrage with our fellow Commissioner Byrd and remain committed to protecting the safety of not only our state and regional commissioners, but of every marginalized individual threatened by violence both online and in person.

On November 14, 2025, an article with the headline "Massachusetts Governor appoints male trans person to women’s commission” was published and has since proliferated widely throughout the right-wing media pundit circle.

We are first and foremost concerned with the safety of our sister Commissioner, who has received overt death threats and violent threats against her person as a result of this hateful and factually incorrect article. We condemn violence and threats against women and girls in all forms. Commissioner Giselle Byrd is a member of this Commission and we will not stand for any hatred or violence directed at one of our own.

“Giselle Byrd is a highly respected leader in the Boston Arts community who is committed to the advancement of women,” said Governor Healey. “The Commission has a bipartisan history of having LGBT representation, as Governor Baker appointed the first transgender woman to the Commission in 2016,” said the Governor. Here at the MCSW, we stand in full support of Governor Healey’s appointment of Giselle Byrd, a highly-qualified individual with a long history of community activism and leadership.

Commissioner Byrd is not the first transgender woman to be appointed to this commission. Sara Schnorr was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker in 2016. Commissioner Byrd is the first African-American transgender woman to serve and the rhetoric regarding her appointment is both transphobic and racist.

Our commission exists to protect women and girls, no matter what gender identity they were provided at birth. We have a strong track record of fighting for the women and girls here in Massachusetts, and we have proven that we won't back down when it comes to codifying anti-discrimination and other protections to laws and policies for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Transphobia, misogyny, and racism are central to this proliferating hate speech that we universally condemn.

It is the mission of the Commission to advance women and girls toward full equality in all areas of life, promoting rights and opportunities for all. Since our creation in 1998, the Commission has focused on advancing key policy issues that impact all women and girls. First formed by the United Nations, we do not think it is a coincidence – and are particularly struck by the irony – of this hateful attack occurring the day after International Day of Tolerance and during Trans Visibility Week. Our mission statement is clear, to promote fundamental freedoms, basic human rights, and the full enjoyment of life for ALL.

We have a duty to defend inclusivity. We stand together to say clearly - we will not be threatened or attacked by organizations and individuals with bad intentions that are out there attacking our transgender women and youth. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a long and storied history – more than 250 years – of fighting for basic human rights for all, and as the Commonwealth’s leading agency for women and girls, we will not back down now. Massachusetts is a place where we believe that fundamental human rights are for everyone.

First, we must acknowledge that the wellbeing of our Commissioner and other members of both our Commission as well as the trans community's safety is paramount to us.

Second, we must address the alarming pattern of murders of trans women, particularly of trans women of color, to rail against and speak out forcefully about these killings of a vulnerable population at the intersection of so many marginalized identities. This issue is bigger than just us at this moment – we condemn violence and hate speech in all forms. We will not be a part of that, so we stand here today to say hands off.

Third, as a campaign of hateful anti-trans legislation continues to sweep the nation, we commit to support the trans community here in the Commonwealth in bringing awareness, stopping the violence intimated against them, and of codifying their human rights as undisputed law.

Finally, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women encourages feedback from members of the trans community as to how we can provide better and more robust support going forward, by contacting us via www.masscsw.org.