Women’s Political Leadership in MA: Advances Expected, Gaps Remain

The election on November 6, 2018, will likely result in an uptick in the number of women elected to the Massachusetts Legislature and history has been made with the Commonwealth’s first Black Congresswoman, Ayanna Pressley, who will serve in the 116th Congress. Yet gender parity, particularly for women of color, remains elusive at many levels of government in the Bay State. This Fact Sheet provides not only essential numbers on the gains expected on November 6th, but offers key historical context to understand the significance of the upcoming election for the Commonwealth

Gender Wage Gap Matters to Women in Low-Wage Occupations: Hispanic Women Face Largest Pay Inequities

Much of the existing research on the gender gap in pay focuses on its impact on women who are middle- and upper-income earners in highly skilled occupations, such as medicine, law, and business. There has been less emphasis on the impact of pay inequity on low-income women working in low-wage occupations

Profiles in Leadership: Women of Color Elected to Office in Massachusetts

In 2015, UMass Boston’s Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy released the first-ever publication exploring the elected leadership of women of color in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts largely to make known the contributions of female electeds of color across the Commonwealth. The publication also aimed to delve into what hinders and what facilitates the elected leadership of women of color. This 2021 updated publication contains profiles of the 174 women of color who have been elected to key policymaking positions and offers quantitative analysis to better understand office-holding patterns. Evident in the profiles is the centrality of community and advocacy for women of color who make a bid and secure elective office. Responding to a community need, an unaddressed problem, or a lack of leadership drove many women of color to seek office in order to make a difference in the cities, towns, and districts they represent. For those in non-municipal positions, the concept of community is just as paramount to many female electeds of color as they work toward solutions to issues that they have championed onto the political agenda. The profiles provide a glimpse into the personal and professional backgrounds of women of color who have been transformative forces in their communities, districts, and in Massachusetts over the decades. This publication offers a window to begin to acknowledge the many ways that women of color have made a difference in public leadership roles. From their election as early trailblazers in the early 1970s to those sworn in more recently, the women featured in this publication come to public service with a range of priorities but many explicitly call for transparency and accountability in governance, particularly on behalf of underserved and/or marginalized populations. Further, women of color leaders in Massachusetts are reimagining and constructing progressive policies related to the economy, labor, education, health, and other systems that work for, instead of against, women of color, which is long overdue

Women’s Political Leadership in Boston

The center tracks the status of women at all levels of government in the New England states. It also provides dynamic web resources to inform and support public leadership of women of color. This fact sheet presents information and statistics following the 2013 municipal elections in the City of Boston

Women’s Municipal Leadership in Massachusetts: Snapshot of Cape Cod

The center tracks the status of women at all levels of government in New England. It also provides dynamic web resources to inform and support the public leadership of women of color

The 2016 Election: Women in the Massachusetts Legislature

This Fact Sheet offers an analysis of female representation in the Massachusetts Legislature, as of the 2016 Election

Policy Snapshot: Current State Efforts, Action, and Progress on Key Issues,

Policy Snapshot created for the New England Women\u27s Police Conference 2016: Ensuring Economic Equality for All Women and Their Families

Latina Political Leadership in Massachusetts

This Fact Sheet offers an analysis of Latina leadership and political representation in the Massachusetts, as of the 2014

Latina Political Leadership in Massachusetts

This Fact Sheet offers an analysis of Latina leadership and political representation in the Massachusetts, as of the 2017

Pathways to Political Leadership for Women of Color Leaders

This research partnership was formed to better understand what motivates and sustains−as well as prevents−Asian American women, Latinas, and African American women from achieving greater rates of political leadership in Massachusetts. Five women of color leaders became research fellows and explored pressing issues such as family and cultural expectations, financial resources and fundraising, and the potential for compromised values. After two years of training, data collection, and analysis, online resources were developed and are now hosted on UMass Boston’s website