Our April 2022 Issue of HONOLULU Magazine is Dedicated to All the Powerful Wāhine Who Inspire Us

When I started at HONOLULU Magazine more than eight years ago, it felt great to be around so many women in positions of power, from our publisher to our digital media manager. As a young professional, I could look at them and see my whole career path laid out in front of me.

Photo: Alyssa Valcourt

Yet when the idea came up for a women’s issue, I had a hard time putting into words how we would choose our subjects. I’ve always been surrounded by inspiring, hardworking, influential ladies. What was going to truly set these women apart? Whenever we asked for help narrowing down the list of dozens of suggestions our staff had come up with, we only added more.

That’s not surprising, especially as more women step into senior leadership roles here in Hawai‘i. But we weren’t just looking for CEOs. We wanted advocates and artists. Lawmakers and leaders outside the boardroom. Women who did the unexpected, who didn’t back down even when it meant standing up against those who historically held all the power. We found all that and more in those we profiled in our cover story.

These women’s stories show that we’re making strides toward equality, but there’s always work to be done. Editor at large Robbie Dingeman celebrates the successes Hawai‘i has achieved in the past few decades while looking ahead to what’s next in the areas that tend to affect women most in her story, “What Needs to Change for Women?”

In keeping with the spirit of a women’s issue, which spans our Style through ‘Ono sections, art director Kayla Rivera stepped in to design this month’s cover. She collaborated with the talented Margaret Rice, whose elegant illustrations caught our attention (and likes on Instagram), on the stunning final image exhibiting the quiet strength of many local women. Read more about Rice and her process in this issue. You can also support local nonprofits when you sign up for a new one-year subscription of HONOLULU—we’re donating 50% of the cost of each new subscription through April 30 to groups that aim to empower women. Every subscription comes with instant digital access to years of archived issues—including this one.

Got a good story? Reach the team at info@honolulumagazine.com

Read all of these stories in the April 2022 issue of HONOLULU Magazine. Available on newsstands in April, or purchase the issue at shop.honolulumagazine.com. Subscribe to the print and digital editions now.