Programs & Public Awareness

The Cambridge Girls in Sports (CGiS) coalition advocates for equitable access to athletics for girls and all youth who identify with girlhood across our community. Priority areas are:

• Creating inclusive environments that share best practices for engaging and retaining girls in sports
• Building a stronger, more connected Cambridge community through citywide athletic programs
• Eliminating barriers to participation through improved equitable access
• Developing sustainable funding models to ensure long-term program viability
• Raising awareness about the profound health, social, and emotional benefits of sports participation 

Gamechangers, an innovative summer program, supports Cambridge youth to become effective peer leaders and confident communicators. In partnership with the YWCA, the Commission provides rising 4th-9th graders with the opportunity to discover their authentic voice in an engaging, supportive environment. Through engaging, age-appropriate activities, participants build the confidence to advocate for themselves and others while learning essential skills in peer leadership, civic engagement, and healthy boundary-setting.
As Cambridge's only summer program focused on empowering youth through boundary-setting education and leadership development, Gamechangers addresses a critical need in the community. The program unites youth across Cambridge from varied cultural backgrounds, creating a rich learning environment where participants:

• Develop essential communication skills
• Find their voice as emerging peer leaders
• Learn from trained peer mentors
• Build community connections

Gamechangers delivers lasting impact by nurturing a new generation of empathetic, assertive leaders equipped to navigate complex social dynamics and champion positive change. By investing in these young leaders today, CCSW is helping to build a more resilient, compassionate, and inclusive Cambridge. To learn more or to register a child, email womenscommission@Cambridgema.gov.

 

History helps us to learn and understand who we are. Each time a girls opens a book, hears a story, or visits a museum with few to no recognizable faces or experiences, she is by definition taught that she is "less than". The dreams and aspirations of girls and young women are compromised when history does not tell the whole story. The Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project was established in 1996 to recognize and celebrate the historical contributions of Cambridge women and currently boasts more than 400 women and women’s organizations in its database. This phenomenal database captures the lives of well-known and not-so-well-known women who have made significant, lasting contributions to the city in the past and present. The website is dedicated to Cambridge women and women’s organizations, which are organized alphabetically as well as by topic (i.e., by a woman’s occupation or area of interest). Designed to be a work in progress and always seeking to add to its database, the Project encourages nominations.

The Commission's dynamic quarterly discussion series serves as Cambridge's vital hub for engaging feminist dialogue, featuring a variety of community leaders who bring critical issues to life. This forum has showcased numerous trailblazers, including Tina Cassidy, author of the groundbreaking Birth; the visionary contributors to the 40th anniversary edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves; and Jaclyn Friedman, whose What You Really, Really Want revolutionizes conversations around female autonomy, sexuality, and safety. By creating this accessible space for community conversation, the Commission amplifies diverse voices, challenges conventional thinking, and advances equity through collective wisdom and serves as a catalyst for meaningful social progress that benefits all.

Continuing the collaborative spirit of the "Women in Cambridge" series, the Women's Entrepreneurship Network (WEN) fosters an atmosphere where both individuals and Cambridge’s collective economic ecosystem can thrive. WEN is a collaboration with the Community Development Department (CDD) and provides Cambridge residents and professionals with essential gathering spaces for women to forge meaningful professional connections. Through these authentic networking opportunities, WEN contributes to the economic vitality of small business owners in Cambridge. WEN strives to make each networking space welcoming by bringing together diverse women—from seasoned professionals to emerging entrepreneurs—representing various sectors, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences. Women develop new collaborations, mentorship relationships, and trusted referral networks that support their growth. By intentionally hosting these quarterly events in women-owned establishments throughout Cambridge, WEN not only showcases these businesses but reinforces Cambridge’s commitment to building an inclusive local economy where diverse entrepreneurs can thrive.

International Women’s Day (March 8) is an occasion marked by women’s groups around the world. The date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, religious, and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. Simply put, International Women’s Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. International Women's Day stands as a powerful testament to the global struggle for gender equality, a day that transcends borders, cultures, and individual differences to celebrate women's collective resilience and ongoing fight for justice. In the United States, where gender equity remains an unfinished revolution, this day takes on critical importance—reminding us that the fight for women's rights is far from complete.