Colleagues and students of the North Orange County Community College District and community members gathered on Thursday, September 17, for the second Women in Power Spaces Convening at Fullerton Community Center’s Grand Hall. The one-day annual event is the culmination of the year-long WiPS initiative, which aims to inform and educate women on power spaces, gender justice, and financial literacy. 

WiPS (with a lowercase “I”) was created by NOCCCD employees in reaction to the federal government’s rollbacks on women’s rights and a desire to create a safe space to examine women’s power. Last year’s conference was intended to be a standalone event. Emcee and Chief Communications Officer Kai Stearns Davis stated in the program, “From the feedback, it was clear that just doing one event a year wasn’t enough.” Fullerton Resident, Yanett Camarillo shared she was motivated to attend the popular event after hearing Stearns give a speech about female empowerment. 

A powerful land Acknowledgment was read by Dr. Rosie Kar, and a reading of an excerpt from feminist trailblazer Robin Morgan’s 1972 “Monster” by Jamielle Rankine-Kirlew started the event. The poem set the tone of compassionate reckoning of power systems that restrict women. The message being power systems are the enemy, not people. 

Jessica Ramey Stender, Policy Director and Deputy Director at Equal Rights Advocates, opened the first session with a sobering look at the current state of the gender wage gap. Stender noted the gap has widened and translates into over $1 million lost in lifetime earnings. She warned that the current federal rollbacks on anti-discrimination protections are threatening the progress that was made in creating access across sectors and industries. 

During the “Stronger California” panel moderated by Kai Stearns Davis, Krista J. Hollinger, MPH , CEO of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino County, shared she learned the organization had been defunded on her fourth day in the position. The direct impact led to laying off 100 employees and left 13,000 patients without a primary care provider throughout the counties. Despite the devastating impact, they continue to provide care to 100,000 clients. Fellow panelist Darcy Totten, Executive Director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, noted the attacks on reproductive rights are not just women’s issues; they affect whole families and the economy. 

The NOCCCD WiPs initiative recognized four NOCCCD employees nominated by their peers for bold initiatives to address gender equity disparities for the 2026 Resilience Awards. The winners, Dr. Rosie Kar, Kelly Robertson, Gabriela De La Cruz, and Bridget Kominek, received a $250 cash prize and a bottle of champagne along with the Medusa lapel medal. 

Author of Good and Mad, Rebecca Traister shared in her keynote speech “The Power of Women’s Anger” that through her writing she made the rage behind her work palatable, as women being angry is socially discouraged. “I was made to understand that even when things are bad, a non-confrontational approach is preferable for strategic, aesthetic, and really for moral reasons.” She extolled the historical impact of women’s anger in effecting change, emphasizing that when women work collectively, they produce real change.  

The “Women in Wealth” panel, moderated by entrepreneur Dr. Yasmin Davidds, explored the compounding wealth barriers women face through career pauses, the wealth gap, longer life expectancies, unpaid labor, and a late start to saving. Kim Nicolas, a retirement planning financial professional at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, assured audience members it is never too late to save for retirement. Estate planning and business attorney Violeta Schults emphasized the importance for women of any age to understand and control their assets. She warned, “If you don’t have it in writing, no one is going to protect it when you’re gone.”

The “Art x Advocacy” panel, moderated by Executive Director of the Fullerton Museum, Elvia Susana Rubalcava, closed the day with four Los Angeles and OC-based artists. Artist and Cal State Fullerton graduate Catherine Montoya stated, “Artists are the ones who see the patterns and we’re noticing as far as what’s going on politically, how powers are being taken away.” Ragni Agarwal shared, “I kept using art to say things that I didn’t feel comfortable saying out loud.” The panel closed with a call to action to create art as resistance and a tool for change.

Women in Power Spaces Convening created a safe space for women to come together and challenge existing structures that impact women, men, and families. Each speaker and panel encouraged women to empower themselves through self-advocacy, financial literacy, education, and art. “It raised a lot more awareness for me,” said Fullerton College student Sadie Diaz, 18, “about things I should be advocating for myself.” 

To find out more, visit https://womeninpowerspaces.com/