This featured guest piece is an excerpt of our September 2025 newsletter.

Dear MCSW Community:

Happy September! It’s hard to believe the summer has flown by so quickly, and we’ve begun yet another school year. 

Here at the MCSW, we’ve kept busy all summer – coordinating with our regional commissions, planning for a robust FY26 events calendar, and working in coalition with countless partners across the state to advance an ambitious agenda of priority legislation that advances the rights of all women and girls across Massachusetts.  

In addition, we’ve recently extended the deadline for our 2025 data collection. As we reflect on the 5 years since the onset of COVID-19, we’ve released an updated survey to take an updated snapshot of life for women in the Commonwealth 5 years post-COVID-19. 

I implore you to take our survey – it’s available in five languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole) in an effort to be as inclusive as possible. Between 2020 and 2022, the MCSW released a series of reports on the impact of COVID-19 and related recommendations to improve the status of all women in the Commonwealth. Read the original report here: Impact of COVID-19 & Related Recommendations to Improve the Status of Women of Color. This data collection will serve as a follow-up to our COVID-19 Series research to bring a more up-to-date picture of the status of women and girls in MA. 

Thank you in advance for completing this survey and contributing your voice and perspective to our work. We encourage you to share this survey widely with any networks or partners interested in the status of women and girls in the Commonwealth. Your responses will inform the development of public policy that intends to advance all women toward full equality in all areas of life and promote rights and opportunities for all women throughout their lives. We encourage you to share your voice and perspective to our work by completing this survey or by joining us for our upcoming public hearing at BIC Works in the North Adams on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.

In solidarity, 

Dr. Kimberly Shea, DNP, RN

MCSW Secretary & Chair of Program & Planning Committee

Dr. Kimberly Shea, DNP, RN is the Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at Mount Wachusett Community College, as well as an adjunct faculty member at several area Colleges. As a registered nurse and higher education professional, Kim represents two of the professional skill sets that the Commission itself identified as missing in its current composition. Kim lives in Winchendon, MA, which is also an under-represented geographic area. Representing a rural community and these professions, Kim brings a unique perspective to the Commission, as well as her life experience raising a family in the area and as an active community member.

September 2025 Regional Spotlight

Every month this year, we’re proudly spotlighting the work of our 11 regional commissions. This month, we uplift the Hampden County Commission on the Status of Women (HCCSW), whose mission is to provide a permanent, effective voice for women and girls in their region.