We are proud to release the fourth biennial Massachusetts Women’s Leadership Index, which can be viewed here. The purpose of the index, first calculated in 2015, is to assess and monitor the status of women in power in the Commonwealth.
The aggregate score is calculated based on women’s representation in political, corporate, and nonprofit leadership as compared to the goal of gender parity. The scores in each category are then adjusted based on whether Massachusetts is ahead or behind rest of the United States. A comparison of the total scores is listed below. A score of 100 would mean Massachusetts has either achieved gender parity in leadership, or has come close and is ahead of the national averages.
| MWLI Year | Total Score (out of 100) |
| 2015 | 36 |
| 2017 | 39 |
| 2019 | 40 |
| 2021 | 45 |
This year, lead author and Associate Professor Jean Beaupre was assisted by two Nichols College students and members of the Institute for Women’s Leadership, Victoria Palkon ’24 and Madison Perrotti ’23.
For more information and our perspectives on the results, we invite you to read the 2021 release. With any questions or feedback, please contact us at iwl@nichols.edu.
