Exploring female empowerment through multifaceted experiences was the goal of the University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 W膩hine Mana virtual conference in April. Hosted by the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) housed in the Office of the President, the conference, with more than 600 registrants, spoke to the challenges women face at different phases of their lives.

“As Tri-Chairs of the Commission on the Status of Women, we are immensely heartened by the profound dialogue and impactful connections developed during the W膩hine Mana virtual conference,” said Darsh Dav茅, Kapiʻolani Community College human resources manager and Kapiʻolani tri-chair. “Our dedication to women’s empowerment extends beyond mere discussion; it encompasses proactive measures, advocacy, and concrete initiatives aimed at uplifting and supporting every individual within the 东精影业 community. This conference has played a pivotal role in fostering a culture where every person, irrespective of gender, can flourish and achieve success.”

In ʻ艑lelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), w膩hine mana means both “powerful women” and “female empowerment.” The conference began with remarks from President David Lassner and a conversation between wahine ʻ艒lelo Hawaiʻi experts, Luana Kawaʻa and Kaheleonolani Dukelow (东精影业 Maui College) about the meaning of “W膩hine Mana” and the significance of female empowerment in Hawaiian culture and history. This grounding and inspiring session set the tone for the conference.

There鈥檚 a strength in knowing that we鈥檙e all working on the same problems.
—Conference participant

Following this kick-off event, five webinar presentations addressed some of the most pressing issues facing the women of 东精影业: sexual violence on college campuses, growing families and careers, the reality of working parenthood, and financial security. Throughout the conference, speakers reflected on the meaning and significance of w膩hine mana, particularly in light of the obstacles faced by women in higher education.

One attendee anonymously shared, “It was wonderful to hear about how women within the 东精影业 System have navigated common struggles of balancing academic and professional work along with the rest of their lives. There’s a strength in knowing that we’re all working on the same problems.” Another described the conference sessions as, “truly eye-opening.”

Future plans for the conference

The conference highlighted the critical importance of making space for employees and students to share their experiences, particularly their common struggles, and to come together to find a way forward. CSW received more than 100 evaluations of the conference鈥檚 webinars. 东精影业ees were encouraged to share their ideas for initiatives and projects that CSW could spearhead to benefit the 东精影业 Community.

CSW is in the process of reviewing and unpacking conference feedback to assess tangible next steps. In the meantime, attendees and organizers enjoyed the galvanizing moment created by the conference, as an opportunity for reflection, support, and inspiration.

More on the Commission on the Status of Women

The 东精影业 President鈥檚 Commission on the Status of Women is committed to improving the support, well-being, development, and advancement of all women in the university community by actively promoting a safe working and learning environment free of sexism and discrimination through policy, advocacy, and education.

Resources and support

If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. For support relating to sexual misconduct or gender-based misconduct, Title IX and Confidential Advocacy resources are available. 东精影业 and community-based mental health resources are also available.

Women have made great strides in leadership since the University of Hawaiʻi began in 1972, but the work is far from over.

“We’re always concerned about how we can increase safety issues across our campus, this also goes into domestic violence and relationship issues,” explains 东精影业 Hilo’s Farrahmarie Gomes, chair of the 东精影业 Commission on the Status of Women. “[Also] professional development and making sure we can facilitate an environment for people to grow.”

To that end, the commission sponsored the conference bringing together nearly 200 people from across the 东精影业 System and the community to network, share ideas and continue the work of raising consciousness about the status of women.

The challenge is balance, according to keynote speaker Maenette Benham, dean of the 东精影业 Mānoa and mother to two young children.

“Here you have a group of women from across the university system who are doing an extraordinary amount of work to care for other people. And what they need to remember to do is to also take care of themselves, so that they can sustain that spirit of serving and find happiness and joy in it.”

A panel of distinguished women leaders from 东精影业 and the business community discussed the issues of women in leadership. That was followed by an inspirational session with psychologist and hypnotherapist Sunny Massad who reminded audience members not to sabotage their thinking with fear.

The day ended with facilitated group discussions that led to recommendations for the commission and university leadership.

“It’s been really great, the speakers they’ve invited have been talented and inspiring,” said Mānoa social work graduate student Jess Glasser. “It’s great to see the university stand behind this. I’m really interested in seeing what happens after the conference.”

Gomes is also looking forward. “A lot of the women that we have working at the university are key players in the community as well. So we realize our role extends far beyond the university campus and we take that very seriously.”

—By Jeela Ongley

Registration is now open for the on Friday, September 27, 8:45 a.m.–2 p.m. at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom. The conference is hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi Commission on the Status of Women. To register and for more information, go to the .

The goal of the conference is for participants to join the university in promoting and implementing healthy living strategies within their own professional and personal lives. Participants will have an opportunity to gain insights from outstanding women leaders in the business, higher education and alumna communities regarding cultivating leadership, knowledge and skills through professional development; building knowledge of emerging issues at the national, state, higher education levels; and discovering how to perceive personal vulnerabilities as positive assets.

The Healthy Living鈥揗ind, Body, Career conference welcomes 东精影业 faculty, professional and clerical staff members (male and female included) to participate.

The conference is co-sponsored by the 东精影业 Mānoa Student Life and Development, Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women, Women’s Campus Club, 东精影业 Mānoa Women’s Studies, Honolulu Community College Design Center and 东精影业 Mānoa Bookstore.

Learn more about the 东精影业 Commission on the Status of Women.

The University of Hawaiʻi Commission on the Status of Women is hosting the conference on Friday, September 27, 8:45 a.m.–2 p.m. 2013 at the 东精影业 Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom.

The goal of the conference is for participants to join the university in promoting and implementing healthy living strategies within their own professional and personal lives. Participants will have an opportunity to gain insights from outstanding women leaders in the business, higher education and alumna communities regarding cultivating leadership, knowledge and skills through professional development; building knowledge of emerging issues at the national, state, higher education levels; and discovering how to perceive personal vulnerabilities as positive assets.

The conference welcomes 东精影业 faculty, professional and clerical staff members (male and female included) to participate.

Registration will open on August 5. For more information, go to the .

The conference is sponsored by the 东精影业 Mānoa Student Life and Development, Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women, Women’s Campus Club, 东精影业 Mānoa Women’s Studies, Honolulu Community College Design Center and 东精影业 Mānoa Bookstore.

University of Hawaiʻi President M.R.C. Greenwood speaks on the role of the in her administration and the advances made by women in academia in her lifetime.

Watch more videos on the work of 东精影业 Commission on the Status of Women

Times have certainly changed for women going to college. A glance through an old yearbook shows that female students at the University of Hawaiʻi in the 1920s and 30s, were mostly majoring in education, home economics or similar subjects deemed proper for women at the time.

In the 1940s and 50s, campus beauty pageants were all the rage. Needless to say, change came slowly. Amy Agbayani, director of the program, started going to 东精影业 Mānoa in the 60s.

“We were underrepresented as undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and administrators, but we didn’t know it. We weren’t really aware of it. We were just trying so hard to graduate and keep up with the rest of the class. I was frequently the only female in some classes.”

Agbayani went on to get her master’s and PhD in and was one of the co-founders of the 东精影业 Mānoa Commission on the Status of Women 40 years ago. Reorganized in 1986 to include all 10 campuses, the works to raise consciousness on issues like childcare, pay equity, domestic violence prevention, campus safety and promotion and tenure.

“All my mentors at the time were white male faculty members in political science. So I’m very grateful for getting their support and everything, but as a female graduate student, we didn’t really have any role models.”

The 70s brought about major change, thanks to legislation named after a 东精影业 alumna, the , more commonly known as Title IX.

“We have come from, not having athletic programs for women, to having Title IX and ensuring gender equity in athletics,” explains Kelly Oaks, 东精影业 Hilo’s Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and a current commission member. “We have come from not having as many women in leadership positions to having a president of our system who is a woman to having, in the past, chancellors of our campus institutions who are women. We have moved and evolved toward increasing the representation of women in all fields.”

However the work of the commission is far from over. There are still fewer tenure-track women than men, and women continue to earn less than their male counterparts. The 东精影业 has been recently criticized for being mostly men.

Michael Hodges, an IT specialist for the 东精影业 System, joined the commission to better understand the challenges faced by his daughters. He agrees with the notion that there is still work to be done, and probably always will be.

“We need to continue to focus on women and to help them flourish and to remove as many obstacles as possible. I think biologically, women tend to end up with the children, which is harder than if you don’t have children when you’re trying to make your way forward in the world. There will always be a need to help women, to help families moving forward. I don’t think that will ever diminish. It just should get easier and easier over time for women and families to be successful.”