The honorees chosen represent and reflect the full depth of the diversity of San Diego County. "The inductees selflessly dedicated themselves to improving the lives of women, children, and families and created a powerful impact within San Diego communities," says Event Chair Moriah Gonzalez-Meeks.
Awards are granted on the basis of values, empowerment, activism, trailblazing, cultural competency, and historical preservation. The six selected for induction this year are:
TRAILBLAZER
Hon. Irma Gonzalez is a retired American judge, who was the first Mexican-American female federal judge. Hon. Gonzalez was appointed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California in 1992, serving as Chief Judge from 2005 to 2012. Prior to her appointment to the federal bench, Judge Gonzalez also worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Prosecution division for the District of Arizona and in Los Angeles, as well as an attorney in private practice. She later served as a U.S. Magistrate judge and a San Diego County Superior Court judge.
ACTIVIST
Lilia Velasquez is an attorney whose background includes assisting immigrants, refugees, asylees and in particular undocumented women of domestic violence, sexual abuse and prostitution. Through her expertise, Velasquez has been a tireless activist for the most vulnerable in our society. Velasquez moved to the United States at age nineteen, and received her degree in Social Work from San Diego State University. Working as a social worker, she witnessed the power of law in helping people. Velasquez went back to school and received her law degree from California Western School of Law. Velasquez has also been a long time participant in the program "Despierta San Diego", which deals with Latino Community issues.
EMPOWERER
Joyce Nower was a founding member of the Ad Hoc Committee for Women's Studies at San Diego State University (1969) and thus co-founder of the first Women's Studies program in the United States. Nower was also a co-founder of the community-based Center for Women's Studies and Services, which was the first Women's Center in Southern California. In 1977 The Center for Women's Studies launched a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence and started an underground network of private homes throughout San Diego County for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Today, The Center is the largest provider of prevention and intervention services in San Diego County for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. She earned her B.A. from Middlebury College, her M.A. from Harvard University, and her Ph.D. from The Union Institute and University, Cincinnati.
EMPOWERER
Carol Rowell Council, at age 21, co-founded the Ad Hoc Committee for Women's Studies at San Diego State University (1969) which then became the first Women's Studies program in the United States. Her interest in feminism grew from her participation in antiwar and student rights movements. In 1972 she helped found the Center for Women's Studies and Services (now the Center for Community Solutions), where she was the director for 20 years. Carol Rowell Council has a B.A. in Public Administration from San Diego State University, and an M.F.A. in Art History from Rosary College VIlla Schifanoia in Florence, Italy.
BRIDGE BUILDER
Dilkhwaz Ahmed is a immigrant women rights activist from the Kurdistan region of Iraq. She served as the Executive Director of the Nawa Center, a shelter for abused women in Sulaimanya, Iraq where she provided counseling and support to victims of domestic violence. She coordinated a program in the women's jail, helping women transition to life in jail and gain skills necessary to survival in the context of prison life, including how to protect oneself from rape and other abuse. In 2002, Ms. Ahmed was granted asylum in the United States, and resettled in San Diego. Her three children joined her in the United States three years hence. In 2003, Ms. Ahmed worked at License to Freedom, and since then she has helped more than 3,000 adult survivors and child victims of domestic violence, including people from the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Soviet Union.
HISTORIAN
Darlene Davies has been involved in recording the history of San Diego for many decades. She volunteers her time and skills as the Official Historian of the Old Globe in Balboa Park, volunteers and supports the San Diego History Center, and has written the history on the San Diego County Commission on the Status of Women. For Davies, researching and recording history is a responsibility and service she takes on with the utmost care. Davies earned her Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and worked professionally as therapist and professor.
