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On May 21st, IGE’s Center for Women, Faith & Leadership (CWFL) hosted its first regional summit on the West Coast. The summit was held at Pepperdine University and convened 60 women representing diverse faith communities, including several graduate students from Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education & Psychology. The theme was “Women Leading Change: Narratives of Impact,” which explored a range of topics related to safety and security for women.

CWFL was honored to welcome Pepperdine’s First Lady Joline Gash and Sister Hortencia Del Villar from the Hilton Foundation to kick off the event, alongside CWFL Program Director Margaret Weber. Headlining the day was Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis, Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University and former President of the American Psychological Association, and Rabbi Sarah Hronsky, Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Hillel in the Los Angeles area. Both speakers brought their unique perspectives to the event and inspired attendees to use their voices for good.

​Dr. Bryant-Davis drove her points home in her keynote: “Context Matters: Considering Faith, Culture, and Gender in Global Initiatives.” Dr. Bryant-Davis empowered attendees to understand and use context to address the pivotal moments we are currently living through.

Rabbi Hronsky illustrated a personal narrative of what it means to be the only woman in the room and still show up. She touched on dividing issues in the U.S. and the impact women of faith can have when choosing to lead in her talk, “Sacred Voices Bridging the Divide: Women of Faith Leading in a Fractured World.”

A panel, titled “Anchored in Justice: Protecting Our Safety & Securing Our Futures in a Shifting World,” was a highlight of the event. Angelique Mutombo, Senior Program Officer at the Hilton Foundation, moderated the panel, setting the tone for a rich discussion about women’s roles in the fight for justice. Panelists included Dr. Sonya Sharififard, Pepperdine faculty member and CWFL alum, Sarah Gibson, Director of the School of Communication and Faculty Fellow for AI at Lipscomb University, and Jennifer Chung-Vanzini, Strategic Director of Partnerships at International Justice Mission (IJM).

After lunch, the panelists led individual breakout sessions designed to provide attendees the opportunity to engage directly with our panelists and their areas of focus: food justice, combating violence against women and children, and AI.

The event was a success for uniting women of different faiths and bringing leaders together to discuss some of the issues facing communities today. CWFL is grateful to Islamic Relief USA and the Hilton Foundation for their generous support in making this regional summit possible.