This featured guest piece is an excerpt of our January 2026 newsletter.

Greetings & Happy New Year MCSW Community!  

It’s hard to believe another year is upon us. I hope 2026 will bring many new and exciting adventures for all of you. 

My name is Mary-dith Tuitt, and I have the honor of serving as the current Chairwoman of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW). I am also the Immediate Past President of the National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW), where women’s commissions from all over the country gather together to share best practices and data research on policies that can improve the lives of all women and girls. I’m also proud to say that I’m a Veteran of the U.S. Navy, where I served fourteen years as an Aviation Machinist’s Mate, first on active duty and then in the active & inactive Reserves, and I’m a proud mother and a grandmother from Boston, MA.     

It is my honor to collaborate with all of you to advance our organization’s mission and vision this year, and every year. The MCSW’s charter is clear – we exist to empower and amplify the voices of the women of the Commonwealth. We are the bridge between the issues you face and the decision makers who have the ability to change, alter, or prioritize policy changes to make our lives easier.    

As the 194^th legislative session will draw to a close the end of this year, we encourage you to plug in. Join us in contacting your elected officials in support of any of our priority bills. Use our new Take Action Hub tool as a way to easily contact your local legislators directly; and we ask for your support of An Act to Promote Diversity on Public Boards and Commissions (H.3398/S.2160), also known as Parity on Boards. 

As women, we do not lead single-issue lives. Our top legislative priorities focus on the overall health, both physical and mental, of women and girls of the Commonwealth, bringing a holistic sense of caring for our full selves. 

And so, this year, may your New Year’s resolution be to take action. Join us at any of our Spring events, draft testimony in support of key legislation that will make all the difference for women and girls and use your voice to speak up wherever possible.  

Together, we can make a lasting impact on the status of all women and girls right here in the Commonwealth.  

Happy New Year, 

Mary-Dith Tuitt 
MCSW Chairwoman 

Mary-dith Tuitt, Boston resident and a Community and Peer Veteran Specialist, was appointed to the Commission by the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators in 2011. Mary-dith was born on the Island of Montserrat in the British West Indies to Henrietta and Michael Tuitt. Tuitt presently serves as President of the National Association of Commissions for Women and has served as Chief of Staff for State Representative Gloria L. Fox, where she worked for the Constituents of Boston, providing support to the underserved communities of Boston, and has worked on various political campaigns. Over the years, Mary has always been involved and invested in enriching, enhancing and empowering her community. She served as a volunteer with Boston Public schools, various community youth groups, and with her church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Columbia Road in Dorchester, MA. An alumnus of the Boston Public School system, Mary-dith graduated from Boston Technical High School in 1985. Shortly after graduation, Mary-dith entered the United States Navy, where she served fourteen years as a Navy Aviation Machinist’s Mate, first on active duty and then in the active & inactive Reserves. Mary-dith runs her own special events coordination business that specializes in design, planning, decoration, and assisting her clients in making their dreams a reality.