16TH ANNUAL WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY 

The honorees chosen represent and reflect the full depth of the diversity of San DiegoCounty.

"The inductees selflessly dedicated themselves to improving the lives ofwomen, 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 thisyear are:

TRAILBLAZER Hon. Irma Gonzalez was the first Mexican American woman to be afederal judge. She was appointed to the United States District Court for the SouthernDistrict of California in 1992 and served as Chief Judge from 2005 to 2012. Prior toher appointment to the federal bench, Judge Gonzalez also worked as an assistantU.S. Attorney in the Criminal Prosecution division for the District of Arizona and in LosAngeles, 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. She retired in 2013after an almost 30-year judicial career.

ACTIVIST Lilia Velasquez is an attorney who assists immigrants, refugees, asylees,and in particular, undocumented women struggling with domestic violence, sexualabuse, and prostitution. As an attorney, she has been a tireless activist for the mostvulnerable in our society. Velasquez moved to the United States at age nineteen, andreceived her degree in Social Work from San Diego State University. As a socialworker, she witnessed the power of the law in helping people. Velasquez went backto school and received her law degree from California Western School of Law.Velasquez frequently makes appearances as an immigration expert on NPR, KPBS,and other media sources.

EMPOWERER Joyce Nower (1932-2010) was a founding member of the Ad HocCommittee for Women's Studies at San Diego State University and thus co-founderof the first Women's Studies program in the United States. Nower was also a cofounderof the community-based Center for Women's Studies and Services, whichwas the first Women's Center in Southern California. Today, The Center is the largestprovider of prevention and intervention services in San Diego County for survivors ofdomestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Nower earned her B.A. fromMiddlebury College, her M.A. from Harvard University, and her Ph.D. from The UnionInstitute and University, Cincinnati.

EMPOWERER Carol Rowell Council, at age 21, co-founded the Ad Hoc Committeefor Women's Studies at San Diego State University (1969) which then became thefirst Women's Studies program in the United States. Her interest in feminism grewfrom her participation in antiwar and student rights movements. In 1972 she helpedfound the Center for Women's Studies and Services (now the Center for CommunitySolutions), 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 Historyfrom Rosary College VIlla Schifanoia in Florence, Italy.

BRIDGE BUILDER Dilkhwaz Ahmed is an immigrant women's rights activist fromthe Kurdistan region of Iraq. She served as the Executive Director of the NawaCenter, a shelter for abused women in Sulaimanya, Iraq where she providedcounseling and support to victims of domestic violence. She coordinated a programin the women's jail, helping women transition to a life in prison and to gain the skillsnecessary to survive. In 2002, Ahmed was granted asylum in the United States, andsettled in San Diego. Since 2003, Ahmed worked at License to Freedom, where shehas helped more than 3,000 adult survivors and child victims of domestic violence.

HISTORIAN Darlene Davies has been involved in recording the history of San Diegofor many decades. She volunteers her time and skills as the Official Historian of theOld 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 ofWomen. For Davies, researching and recording history is a responsibility andservice she takes on with the utmost care. Davies earned her Master's Degree inSpeech-Language Pathology and worked professionally as therapist and professor.