When junior Eva Goldfarb first heard the speakers lined up for the Women’s Convention, she said she saw a chance to attend and learn from them.

“Once I heard the lineup of who was going to be speaking, like Maxine Waters and the Women’s March Co-founders, all personal role models of mine, I thought it would be a really good opportunity to go and learn and be inspired,” Goldfarb said.

Goldfarb said she felt the motivation for the event aimed to encourage and energize the women’s movement.

“The purpose is it’s a really good way for women to hear from really inspiring people about what we should be doing right now in terms of making change and controlling our future and our rights and how our country is run,” Goldfarb said.

Elana Temple, Goldfarb’s mother, said she decided to bring Goldfarb to the event due to her daughter’s passion for social justice and women’s issues, especially in the current political climate.

“(Goldfarb is) so naturally inclined to care about social justice issues and has a particular interest in women’s rights, more so than ever this year after the nomination of a President who openly and regularly degrades women, seeks to take away their rights and strip the rights of others,” Temple said.

Goldfarb’s said one of her best experiences at the convention was a program on white womanhood.

“There was this program on confronting white womanhood, that was kind of about how to accept and unlearn the ideas that are spread by our society, Goldfarb said. “It’s a cool way for me to grow.”

Temple said she felt specifically strongly about the large sessions and believes the women involved are dedicated to making our country better.

“The large sessions were phenomenal with Congresswoman Maxine Waters delivering a power-packed speech, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand firing up the crowd,” Temple said. “(They are) committed to working together to make our country better, truly better.”

Goldfarb said she felt inspired to make change and did not need to wait for anyone but herself.

“Overall (the conference provides) this idea of empowerment that we can be changemakers on a local individual level, we don’t have to wait for the federal government to make change ourselves, and I thought that was a really important message,” Goldfarb said.

Temple said an event like this is essential for people who believe in progressive politics, to work for positive change in our world.

“For those of us who believe in the advancements of women, people of color, those in the LGBTQIA community, immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities, workers and protective measures to the environment, an event like this is essential, and the first, in fact, national women’s convention in 40 years,” Temple said. “We need to stay together, keep learning and keep organizing to meaningfully and effectively bring change to our world.”