Upper Middlesex Commission on the Status of Women

This month, we’re spotlighting our Upper Middlesex County Commission on the Status of Women (UMCSW) which was founded in 2018 with a mission to provide a permanent, effective voice for women and girls in Upper Middlesex County. Since their initial launch, UMCSW has maintained a strong presence in their cities and towns through continued legislative advocacy work, establishing a respectful working relationship with their local elected officials, state legislators, and community partners. They have held listening sessions, public hearings, panel discussions – and conducted surveys and needs assessments to better understand the most pressing issues facing their constituents.

Recent Highlights

In 2022, the Upper Middlesex Regional Commission (UMCSW) hosted a virtual Town Hall on the topic of “What is the future for women at work?” – where they explored the implications of Covid and how it affected women in the workplace, including childcare challenges. They heard from community partners and constituents and collected testimony that was compiled into a regional report. UMCSW also hosted a series of community coffees across the region for more intimate conversations with women on issues that mattered most to them.

In 2023, UMCSW hosted a virtual Town Hall on the topic of eldercare and family caregiving, receiving testimony from several community partners and advocates as well as constituents across the region. This led to a community-wide survey where they gathered even more data on the challenges of eldercare and family caregiving in Upper Middlesex County. UMCSW partnered with the Common Start Coalition to advance the needs of early childhood education and quality childcare – and took part in National Family Caregivers Month where they joined several community partners for conversations and advocacy on several key legislative bills addressing eldercare and family caregiving.

In 2024, UMCSW expanded their community survey on eldercare, partnering with several organizations to host an informative public session on the roles of family caregivers. They also hosted a film screening followed by a community discussion on the documentary, At Your Cervix – which aligned with another regional priority that focused on consent for pelvic exams. UMCSW also had the honor of welcoming the youngest MCSW Regional Commissioner to their commission who was a high school senior at the time – and who served as a youth leader at GELI 2024, co-facilitating a youth-led Town Hall.

Learn more about the 2025-2026 Legislative Priorities of this region:

Current UMCSW Commissioners

Current UMCSW Commissioners: Jennifer Canfield (Littleton), Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello (Somerville), Diane Randolph Jones (Acton), Jessica Kallin (Ashby), Shreya Kesarwani (Lexington), Julie Laflamme (Bedford), Christina Li (Lexington), Anna Tse (Malden), Doreen Wade (Dracut)

For more information about the commission: Upper Middlesex CSW

Above Photos:
Upper Middlesex CSW Commissioners Jenna Canfield, Diane Randolph Jones, Jessica Kallin and Julie Laflamme met with community members and state legislators to discuss regional priorities and other issues of importance to women and girls in the Upper Middlesex Region.

Above Photos:
Upper Middlesex CSW Commissioner Shreya Kesarwani becomes the youngest regional commissioner in MCSW history, beginning as a state commission intern, then moving to a member of the Upper Middlesex Athena Council before becoming a regional commissioner. She served as a youth leader at GELI 2024, co-facilitating the youth-led Town Hall.