The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women has served as a crucial voice in the Shapiro Administration, raising some of the most important issues for women in Pennsylvania – from Black maternal health to menstrual equity in schools, and accessible childcare – directly to Governor Josh Shapiro.

Over the last two years, the Shapiro Administration has successfully delivered commonsense solutions for women – and Governor Shapiro is laser focused on getting even more stuff done to build on the successes of his first two years in office. 

Harrisburg, PA – As the Shapiro Administration marks the two-year milestone of Governor Josh Shapiro’s first term as Pennsylvania’s 48^th Governor, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women is highlighting the ways that Governor Shapiro’s G-S-D approach to governing has delivered for women all across the Commonwealth.

"I am proud of everything our Commission has accomplished in the last two years. It is an honor to work alongside the Commissioners to address the needs of women and girls in Pennsylvania” said Moriah Hathaway, Executive Director, Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women. “The Commission is committed to cultivating a workforce that empowers women, creating a safer Commonwealth, improving women’s health and wellbeing, and supporting women as they age. Our mission will remain the same as we head into the next two years.”

In June 2023, Governor Shapiro established six Advisory Commissions to help ensure all Pennsylvanians have a voice in state government. The Governor's Advisory Commissions are led by an Executive Director and made up of a group of Commissioners from all across the Commonwealth who work together to make recommendations to the Governor on policies and legislation that impact their communities.

In the last 18 months, Executive Director Hathaway has worked with 28 commissioners to help raise some of the most important issues impacting women directly to Governor Shapiro and advise Commonwealth agencies on programs and services relevant to women’s needs. As a result, the Shapiro Administration has made significant progress to deliver commonsense solutions to the issues they face and make meaningful investments in communities across Pennsylvania.

Addressing Maternal Health Disparities

The Shapiro Administration has prioritized addressing maternal health disparities, especially for Black and Brown women, including:

• Historic Investments in Maternal Health: In the 2023-24 budget, the Governor worked to secure the first-ever investment in addressing maternal mortality with $2.3 million to expand maternal health programming and for the implementation of prevention strategies to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. Governor Shapiro built on that success by securing an additional $2.6 million in the 2024-25 budget for maternal mortality prevention.

• Partnering with the Black Maternal Health Caucus: The Commission has partnered with the Black Maternal Health Caucus to host events like the documentary screening of the film Aftershock. This issue is also a priority for Second Lady Blayre Holmes Davis.

• Protecting a Woman’s Right to Choose: Governor Shapiro firmly believes women and girls deserve to make their own choices about their own bodies – and that they should have access to the full range of reproductive health care services, which includes menstrual and maternal health.
• Governor Shapiro has always fought for a woman’s right to choose – including launching a website for reproductive healthcare resources to help Pennsylvanians find information about both medication abortions and in-clinic procedure abortions, and joining the multi-state Reproductive Freedom Alliance to safeguard abortion access, protect abortion providers, and affirm abortion rights.

Highlighting Menstrual Equity

The Shapiro Administration has highlighted the need menstrual equity and worked to keep girls in the classroom, including:

• Providing Menstrual Products in K-12 Schools: First Lady Lori Shapiro has been a fierce advocate for menstrual equity, which is why Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget included $3 million to provide period products in schools to help close a gap in women’s health care.

• Decreasing the Stigma: In May 2024, Governor Shapiro proclaimed May 28^th to be Menstrual Hygiene Day for the first time in Pennsylvania’s history. He was also the first Governor in Pennsylvania to discuss periods in his Budget Address. The Commission has also stood alongside the Women’s Health Caucus at various press conferences to advocate for menstrual equity statewide.

• Raising Awareness: First Lady Lori Shapiro and the Commission have visited nonprofits and met with students directly to raise awareness around menstrual equity. In December 2024, members of the Shapiro Administration met with students at Warwick Middle School to highlight how the Warwick School District?supports their students by offering free menstrual products in school restrooms in partnership with local, parent-led nonprofit, Warwick United. 

Cutting Child Care Costs

The Shapiro Administration has also worked to cut costs for childcare in Pennsylvania, including:

• Expanding the Child and Dependent Care?Tax?Credit: Governor Shapiro knows that a lack of affordable?childcare holds back our children, parents, and our economy, which is why he expanded the Child and Dependent Care?Tax?Credit?for nearly 210,000 Pennsylvania families.

• Creating a New Employer Child Care Contribution Tax Credit: This tax credit incentivizes employers to contribute to their employees’ childcare expenses. Under the credit, employers can claim a credit for up to 30% of their aggregate contributions to employees’ eligible childcare costs. The credit is capped at $500 per employee, and contributions from employers are excluded from the income of the receiving employees.

• Building Community: The Commission has hosted listening sessions with parents in the agriculture industry and advocates in Centre County. They participated in a Childcare Town Hall in Cumberland County and visited a childcare center in the Lehigh Valley to hear directly from the provider.

The Shapiro Administration: Two Years of G-S-D

As Governor Shapiro marks two years in office, the Shapiro Administration remains committed to building a Commonwealth that is warm and welcoming for all – and where all Pennsylvanians have the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. From creating jobs and economic opportunity, to investing in education and public safety, Governor Shapiro will continue to deliver the kind of commonsense solutions that help make life better for all Pennsylvanians and deliver results for our communities.

Visit Governor Shapiro's Accomplishments website to explore the Administration’s interactive midterm report and download a detailed PDF overview of accomplishments.

To learn more about how you can get involved with the Commission’s work, follow us on Facebook and Instagram and join our stakeholder list by emailing [email protected].