Cape Cod and Islands Commission on the Status of Women

This month, we’re spotlighting our Cape Cod and Islands Commission on the Status of Women (CCICSW), which was founded in 2009 with a mission to provide a permanent, effective voice for women and girls on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. Since their initial launch, CCICSW has maintained a strong relationship with community partners and state legislators, advocating for regional priorities and resources that better the lives of their constituents. CCICSW Commissioners are active in their towns, gathering testimony through listening sessions, surveys, community conversations, and panel discussions – all of which help guide their legislative advocacy, both locally and on the state level.

Recent Highlights

In 2023, CCICSW partnered with NAMI Cape Cod on a community program titled “Children and Mental Wellness” – and invited mothers in the region to engage in conversations regarding the effects of Covid on the mental health of their children. The participants heard from Jackie Lane, Executive Director of NAMI Cape Cod, on the resources available to residents in the region and from Cindy Horgan, Executive Director of Cape Cod Children’s Place, about raising children to have sustainable mental wellness.

In 2024, CCICSW hosted an October panel discussion in partnership with We Can Center in Hyannis and offered translation in Portuguese. Panelists were Lisa Guyon, We Can; Susan Moran, State Senator; Katia Da Cunha, Latinx in Action; Dr. Kristen Harper, Reverend at Barnstable Unitarian Universalist; and Annikki (Nikki) Galibois, South Shore Community Action Council. Over 35 civic leaders and community  partners attended and participated in the discussion regarding gaps in regional services and resources.

In 2025, CCICSW hosted a girls listening circle in late January at the Mashpee Public Library. High school student leaders from Mashpee, Falmouth, and Sandwich schools attended. The event was organized and led by CCICSW high school intern Ayesha Shafi and the program included discussion of major issues of concern to girls, how to advocate for legislation at the state level, and how to better communicate with female students at each school regarding their needs. Several participants attended the 2025 GELI Summit in Woods Hole where CCICSW Intern Ayesha Shafi co-facilitated the GELI Town Hall.

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

Current CCICSW Commissioners

Current CCICSW Commissioners: Lynne Barbee (Mashpee); Sunny Daily (Nantucket); Natalia Frois (Hyannis); Janell Burley Hofmann (Sandwich); Chinna Mapp (Falmouth); Amy Peters (Mashpee); Zaafirah Robb (Falmouth); Mary Waygan (Mashpee).

For more information about the commission: Cape Cod and Islands CSW

Above:
Cape Cod and Islands Commissioners Lynne Barbee, Amy Peters, and Natalia Frois joined CCICSW intern Ayesha Shafi for a listening session with Cape Cod high school girls at the Mashpee Public Library in January 2025.

Above:
Photos for Women in Leadership Forum: CCICSW Commissioners Lynne Barbee, Amy Peters, Natalia Frois, Chinna Mapp, and Mary Waygan joined several civic leaders and community partners in October 2024 for a conversation about gaps in regional resources and services for women. 

Above:
CCICSW Commissioners Amy Peters and Chinna Mapp attended GELI 2025 in Woods Hole, along with their regional intern Ayesha Shafi, who co-facilitated the Town Hall segment with another regional youth leader.

Above (left): Cape Cod and Islands Commissioner Natalia Frois attended the International Festival at the Hyannis Village Green in July 2025.
Above (right): Cape Cod and Islands Commissioners Natalia Frois, Chinna Mapp, and Amy Peters joined the staff at Cape Media Center in Dennis for media training in early September 2024.