Retired federal judge Irma Gonzalez is one of six women scheduled to be inducted Sunday to the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame.
Gonzalez was the first Mexican-American woman to become a federal judge when she was named to the bench in 1992. She served 20 years, the last seven as the district’s chief judge. Before that, she was a lawyer in private practice, assistant U.S. attorney and Superior Court judge.
Others selected were:
- Lilia Velasquez, a lawyer who represents immigrant women, particularly those impacted by domestic violence, sexual abuse and prostitution.
- Joyce Nower and Carol Rowell Council, who co-founded the first women’s studies program in the United States at San Diego State University, introduced a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence and started an underground network of private homes throughout the region for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
- Dilkhwaz Ahmed, who came to the United States from the Kurdistan region of Iraq and has assisted more than 3,000 women and children from other countries who have experienced domestic violence.
- Darlene Davies, who serves as historian of the Old Globe theater and works with the San Diego History Center.
Chosen from more than 200 nominations, the honorees will be inducted at 2:30 p.m. at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Community Center, 404 Euclid Ave.
— City News Center