The Women in Power Spaces (WiPS) Initiative by the North Orange County Community College District addresses the systemic and persistent barriers female-identifying individuals face to advance social justice and gender equity for all.

If you’ve ever been in London, England and traveled via their Underground system (also known as “The Tube”) you’ll be familiar with the phrase “Mind the Gap.” It’s the safety warning that plays each time the railcar doors open, encouraging passengers to be careful of the gap between the train and the platform edge. I often think it’s an apt metaphor for the journey of life: There is always an interruption between where you are and where you want to be, and traversing that space can be dangerous and intimidating.

For women, the equity gaps we face are pervasive and daunting. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, it will take 123 years for women to reach full parity on a global scale. That is four generations from now! In the United States, despite pay discrimination being illegal for over 50 years, women working full-time earned just 81% of the median annual salary paid to men—and it’s even worse for women of color. We are still fighting for every inch of progress!

Want to figure out how to bridge these gaps? Register now for this year’s Women in Power Spaces Convening! This all-day event will take place on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Fullerton Community Center. The Convening will interrogate a multitude of gaps—wealth, political representation, promotional, and data—while focusing on practical ways to move forward.

It will be a day filled with learning, discussion, connection and inspiration, highlighted by a keynote speech by journalist Rebecca Traister. If you’re not familiar with Rebecca, she’s a leading voice on feminism and women in politics and the author of New York Times bestsellers: Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger and All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation. Anne Lamott called Traister “the most brilliant voice on feminism in this country.” To get a taste for Rebecca’s presentation, explore this Publisher’s Weekly interview in which she shares why it’s important for women to understand their relationship to anger and how it can be the catalyst for progressive social change.

We are also honored to announce a session by Jessica Stender, the Policy Director and Deputy Legal Director at Equal Rights Associates where she leads state and federal policy advocacy with a focus on pay equity and employment discrimination cases. Jessica also co-chairs the Stronger California Advocates Network, a state-wide network of organizations promoting policy reform to improve economic security for women and families. She will outline the Initiative's comprehensive agenda for closing the race and pay gap.

Until next time,
Kai Stearns Davis, Leadership Committee Chair

“Going to the inaugural WiPS event literally changed my life. The speakers inspired me to get involved in local politics and now I’m running for Lake Forest City Council!

Because of WiPS, my life has dramatically changed direction. Win or lose, the connections I have made and the love I have felt are gifts I cannot put into words.”

—Amy Stevens, 2025 Convening attendee

Tickets are limited and guaranteed to sell out. Register today!

Rebecca Traister is an award winning journalist and leading voice on feminism and women in politics. Traister’s debut book, Big Girls Don’t Cry, was published on the heels of the 2008 election. Although America did not elect its first female president, Traister explains how the campaign ignited conversations on the left and the right about gender, generational differences, feminism, and sexism.

Good and Mad was a New York Times bestseller and was selected as a best book of 2018 by NPR, The Washington Post, Elle, and more. With eloquence and fervor, Traister explores the transformative power of female anger and its ability to transcend into a political movement.

Watch Rebecca discuss her latest book on The Daily Show.

Attorney Jessica Stender leads Equal Rights Advocates state and federal policy advocacy with a focus on pay equity, harassment, discrimination, and other civil rights. She also represents workers in employment discrimination and pay equity cases. She is Co-Chair of the Women's Rights Committee of the American Bar Association's Civil Rights and Social Justice Section, Co-Chair of the Policy Committee of the National Taskforce on Tradeswomen Issues and serves on the Policy Committee of the Equal Pay Today campaign. Jessica regularly speaks and writes about issues related to gender equity and was named one of the Top Labor & Employment Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal in 2018.

Jessica discusses the critical role of salary history bans the Ms. Magazine article How Salary History Bans Help Close the Gender Wage Gap.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) urges U.S. Representatives to protect public schools by co-sponsoring the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act.

Melania Luisa is a poet, storyteller, and cultural advocate whose work celebrates heritage, self-discovery, and the power of finding one's voice.

This Pew Research Center report looks at the experiences of working parents in the United States, including how they navigate the demands of work and family life, how they divide responsibilities at home, and how workplace benefits and arrangements shape their experiences.

LA Center of Excellence's recent report on female employment and educational outcomes in Los Angeles County.

We would love to feature you in the next newsletter.

Send in your letter to publicaffairs@nocccd.edu to share your story with other women and allies in the WiPS community.