December Meeting

Our next meeting will be held on December 14, 2016, 5:00-7:00 PM
Cape Cod Community Media Center
17 Shad Hole Rd, Dennis Port 
 

CCICSW is now accepting applications

Cape Cod and Islands Commission on the Status of Women is now accepting applications

The Cape Cod and Islands Commission on the Status of Women (CCICSW) is comprised of thirteen commissioners. The purpose of the CCICSW is to advance women toward full equality and to promote opportunities for all women.

Created by the legislature in 2009, the commission draws on the experience of women and their families from diverse backgrounds throughout Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, and reports its findings to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women annually. In addition, the CCICSW’s duties include: studying, reviewing and reporting on the status of women on the Cape and Islands, promoting and facilitating collaboration among local women’s organizations, recommending policies that benefit women to agencies, officers of the state and local government and holding fact-finding hearings and other public forums as it may deem necessary.

Download Application Packet

Applications are welcome from individuals residing in Barnstable, Dukes, or Nantucket counties with experience in issues pertaining to women.

To be considered for appointment to the CCICSW, please complete all three sections of the application and email the responses to both CCICSW and MCSW by November 30, 2016.

Questions regarding these opportunities should be directed to: CCICSW at ccicswapplications@gmail.com and to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, Contact information: mcsw@state.ma.us, Charles F. Hurley Building, 19 Stanford St, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02114,  617-626-6520

Important considerations:

• The CCICSW meets on the second Wednesday of the month, except in July and August from 5:00-7:00 PM in varying locations across Cape Cod. Additional public hearings and meetings are held as necessary on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
• The CCICSW meets ten times a year. Attendance is expected on a regular basis; more than four unexcused absences in a full year will be grounds for discussion of the commissioner's intent to participate.
• Commissioners are expected to serve on CCICSW committees, participate in their local community activities that support the CCICSW’s outreach and help monitor local decisions that affect the well-being of women.
• Once appointed, all commissioners are required to complete both the online Open Meeting Law and Conflict of Interest training within two weeks after being sworn in and submit a printed certificate to the CCICSW secretary at their first meeting after being appointed and sworn in. Commissioners may not attend meetings until these documents are submitted.

November Meeting

Our next meeting will be held on November 9, 2016, 5:00-7:00 PM

Barnstable Town Hall Selectmen’s Conference Room

367 Main Street, Hyannis MA

The CCICSW is Now Accepting Applications for New Commissioners

Application can be downloaded here.

The Cape Cod and Islands Commission on the Status of Women is comprised of 13 commissioners, and exists to advance women toward full equality and to promote opportunities for all women. Created by the legislature in 2009, the commission draws on the experience of women and their families from diverse backgrounds throughout Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, and reports its findings to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women annually. In addition, the Commission’s duties include: studying, reviewing and reporting on the status of women on the Cape and Islands, promoting and facilitating collaboration among local women’s organizations, recommending policies that benefit women to agencies, officers of the state and local government and holding fact-finding hearings and other public forums as it may deem necessary. Applications are welcomed from individuals residing in Barnstable, Dukes, or Nantucket counties with experience in issues pertaining to women.

To be considered for appointment to the Cape Cod and Islands Commission on the Status of Women, please complete all 3 sections of this application and email the responses to both CCICSW and MCSW. Questions regarding these opportunities should be directed to:

Cape Cod and Islands Commission on the Status of Women at ccicswapplications@gmail.com and to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, E-Mail: mcsw@state.ma.us www.mass.gov/women
The Charles F. Hurley Building, 19 Stanford St, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02114 Phone: 617-626-6520
Considerations:

• At present, the Cape Cod and Islands Commission on the Status of Women meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, excepting July and August at 5:00-7:00 PM across Cape Cod. Additional public hearings and meetings are held as necessary across the Cape and on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
• The Commission meets ten times a year and a minimum six times a year; attendance is expected on a regular basis and more than 4 unexcused absences in a full year will be grounds for discussion of the commissioner's intent to participate.
• Commissioners are expected to serve on Commission committees, participate in their local community activities that support the Commission’s outreach and help monitor local decisions affecting the well being of women.
• All commissioners are required to complete both the online Open Meeting Law and Conflict of Interest training within two weeks after being sworn in and submit a printed certificate to the CCICSW Secretary at their first meeting after being appointed and sworn in. Commissioners may not attend meetings until these documents are submitted.

Posting: October Meeting

NEXT MEETING: 

Wed, October 12, 2016 at 5:00
802 MacArthur Boulevard
​Pocasset, MA  02559 

Meeting Agenda

MCSW as part of the Equal Pay Coaltion celebrates a unanimous victory for women

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                     

CONTACT: Jill Ashton    

(617) 626-6520

July 14, 2016                                                                                                   

MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES UNANIMOUSLY MOST COMPREHENSIVE PAY EQUITY LEGISLATION IN THE COUNTRY

BOSTON – On Thursday, July 14^th, the Massachusetts House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.4509, An Act to Establish Pay Equity by a vote of 158-0.

Massachusetts was the first state to pass an Equal Pay law in 1945 and members of the legislature have been filing a bill since 1998 to fill gaps in this law. With today’s passage, the Commonwealth can now celebrate passing the most comprehensive pay equity legislation in the country. The bill aims to tackle the gender wage gap that currently affects women in Massachusetts: on average, they make 82 cents to every dollar their male counterparts earn – African American women earn 67 cents and Latina women earn 58 cent to their male counterparts.

The pay equity bill will help address the gender wage gap by providing a more comprehensive definition of comparable work – the most inclusive out of the 23 states in the United States that have such a definition in their books. The bill allows employees to discuss their salaries without the threat of retaliation from their employer and bans the practice of requiring salary history on job applications before a job offer is made.  The bill also encourages employers to evaluate their own pay practices and implement changes to end pay disparities voluntarily.  These four components make the bill amenable to businesses and employees alike.

The establishment of these practices will help women in Massachusetts reach their true earnings potential in the workplace and help lift women and families out of poverty. Overall, the bill is good for women, good for families and good for business and the economy.

“Today is a historic day in Massachusetts and I would like to thank our legislative leaders in both the House and the Senate for recognizing the importance of working towards closing the gender wage gap. This bill supports working families, communities, and companies by ensuring equal pay for women and men.  It will make Massachusetts more competitive in a global marketplace” said Victoria Budson, Chair of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.

“The Women’s Bar Association (WBA) of Massachusetts was proud to work as part of the Equal Pay Coalition to advance this bill. The WBA is dedicated to the full and equal participation of women in Massachusetts and this legislation brings us one step closer to achieving equality in the workplace and economic security for women and families across the Commonwealth,” said Kristin Shirahama, President of WBA.

“The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Mass NOW) is thrilled that Massachusetts is leading on the critical issue of equal pay. We look forward to the day that everyone who identifies as a woman around the country having as much equality as we do in Massachusetts” says Sasha Goodfriend, Co-President of Mass NOW.

The bill now goes to a conference committee to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions before a final vote in both chambers.

###

The Equal Pay Coalition is a coalition of non-profits, unions and other organizations hoping to eliminate the wage gap for women and people of color and they have been working on passing this legislation since the beginning of the 2015-2016 legislative session.

For more information about the Equal Pay Coalition, please visit: www.maequalpaycoalition.com