On April 11, participants of the fourth annual Arizona Women’s Conference (AZWC) gathered to inform, inspire, and ignite others to go out into action.

“The idea is to bring all women together, to share their passions, ideas, struggles, and successes,” AZWC founder and chair Carol Camito said. “Through the workshop, we will be able to do that,” says Camito.

This year’s conference, held at SCC, featured a variety of speakers including Dr. Donna Young, Dean of Student Affairs, and keynote speaker Gloria Feldt, who is also the co-founder and president of the organization Take the Lead.

Dr. Carolyn Warner, a former state superintendent of public instruction, also spoke at the conference, and offered some ideas about leadership.

“Leadership means you find an area of value that you believe in profoundly, and then you look at a lot of other people who have same belief system, and then you put them together and you become a leader,” she said. “Leadership is often not just talking; leadership requires profound listening and a great deal of learning.”

Warner also said that women need to take a part in politics.

“One thing is we represent 51% of the population and it would be a serious mistake to not have a voice in the political affairs of any jurisdictions, city, county, state, or federal,” she said. “Women must assume the responsibility and would be the election of duty if we do not take a role or take that part and play it and do it well. “

Through workshops, participants get more information depending on the topics of their interest. AZWC 2015 discussed many issues through workshops, such as anti-bullying, domestic violence, gun safety, human rights and sex trafficking, immigration, leadership development, self-defense, social change, women’s mental health and women in politics.

“Workshop presenters are volunteers, they are amazing,” Camito said. “They are CEO’s, book authors, presidents of organizations, and they come out and give their time so they can help inform other women about what’s going on and they can help to get involved. For instance, we have mental health in general. How we can be more supportive of people?  Because we know, if you break your leg, everybody feels sorry for you, but if there is something wrong mentally with you, everybody will stay away.”

This event drew participants from beyond SCC as well. One such participant was Randi Haranzo, a sophomore at ASU.

“It’s fun and very informative, learning a lot about different topics and I have actually thought about myself,” Haranzo said. She said she learned more about power and “about how women should have power in themselves and use it to their advantage.”

Besides the workshops, the conference also provided exhibition for 32 vendors from profit and nonprofit organizations affiliated with AZWC.