An evening of conversation. A call to build power. A commitment to what comes next.
Nearly 300 people gathered at New Bedford’s Zeiterion Theater on October 15 for Women’s Fund SouthCoast’s Women, Power, and the Future of Democracy—an evening exploring who holds power, whose rights are protected, and what it takes to build a democracy in which all of us can participate fully.
The gathering brought public leaders, advocates, young people, and community organizations into a shared conversation about reproductive justice, immigrant rights, racial justice, and women’s leadership. At its heart was a question that reaches well beyond any single election: How do we build the power to shape the decisions that govern our lives?
For Women’s Fund SouthCoast, bringing that conversation to New Bedford mattered. Our region’s communities hold knowledge, experience, and leadership that should inform the national conversation. They also deserve sustained investment in the people and organizations advancing justice here.
Bringing different perspectives into conversation
The evening opened with a Democracy Marketplace, connecting guests with 20 participating organizations and opportunities to learn about their work, build relationships, and get involved.
Women’s Fund SouthCoast Executive Director Christine Monska then engaged in a fireside conversation with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, bringing state leadership into a community gathering centered on women, power, and democracy.
A panel moderated by Dr. Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, director of UMass Boston’s Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, brought together:
- Loretta J. Ross, reproductive justice leader, author, and educator;
- Marielena Hincapié, incoming President, Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, immigrant rights leader and former executive director of the National Immigration Law Center;
- Senator Lydia Edwards, Massachusetts State Senator; and
- Melanie Edwards-Tavares, President and CEO of the SouthCoast Community Foundation.
Together, these leaders brought perspectives spanning organizing, advocacy, public policy, education, and philanthropy. Their participation created space to examine how reproductive freedom, immigrant justice, racial equity, and democratic participation intersect—and what those connections ask of us as community members.
These issues shape everyday life: whether people can make decisions about their bodies, whether families can live safely, whose work and experiences are valued, and who has access to public decision-making.
Young people are already shaping the future
Between the fireside conversation and panel, Piper Reis, Elizabeth DaCunha, and Duyen Le offered a Youth Voices bridge connecting the evening’s discussions to young people’s experiences and leadership.
Their participation reflected a conviction central to the Women’s Fund’s work: young people need opportunities to exercise power now.
Investing in that leadership means creating opportunities to ask difficult questions, influence decisions, direct resources, and help define community priorities. It also means listening with the expectation that what young people say can change what institutions do.
Why a women’s fund belongs in this work
A democracy is only as strong as people’s ability to shape the decisions that govern their lives. That power must be built—and sustained.
Women’s Fund SouthCoast connects research to action, directs resources to community priorities, and invests in the leadership of women and girls. Our work recognizes that gender, race, and economic opportunity shape one another. Lasting change requires us to address them together.
Research helps make inequities visible and brings community knowledge into public decisions. Grantmaking puts resources behind community priorities. Leadership development creates opportunities for people to exercise influence. Advocacy carries that knowledge and leadership into the systems that shape daily life.
An evening like this creates an opportunity to connect those efforts—and to invite more people into them.
A call to invest in what comes next
Women’s Fund SouthCoast founder Judge Bettina Borders closed the gathering with a call to action: give to the Women’s Fund, and keep this conversation going.
That invitation extends to everyone, whether you joined us at the Zeiterion or are encountering these questions here.
Sustained community work requires sustained resources. A gift to Women’s Fund SouthCoast supports community grantmaking, young women’s leadership, research, and advocacy across our region. It helps build the capacity to carry ideas into action and relationships into lasting work.
Give to Women’s Fund SouthCoast
We also want to hear what deserves further attention. If you attended, share what stayed with you, what we could improve, and what you would like to explore next. Our attendee survey includes space to submit a question about the evening’s discussions for WFSC to follow up on.
Share Your Feedback and Questions
Thank you to the community that made it possible
We are grateful to our speakers, Youth Voices participants, Democracy Marketplace partners, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and the Zeiterion team. Their contributions made this gathering possible and helped more community members take part.
Thank you to everyone who brought curiosity, conviction, and a willingness to engage.
On October 15, we brought together a community that cares about the future of our democracy. Now let’s build the power to shape it.
