WeHo’s Women’s Equality Day celebration featured a film screening, panel discussions and speeches. (photo by Kristina Sado)

The city of West Hollywood and the Women’s Advisory Board celebrated Women’s Equality Day on Aug. 24 at Plummer Park’s Fiesta Hall. The event honored the optimism, tenacity and unrelenting spirit of the people who worked to secure women’s right to vote and illustrated how much can be achieved in a democratic society by the collective efforts of citizens committed to political reform. The celebration also highlighted ongoing efforts to achieve full gender equality and protect voting rights.

The Women’s Equality Day Celebration featured an interactive Tabletop Brunch – Women and the Way Forward – hosted by the city of West Hollywood’s Women’s Advisory Board, and a screening of the award-winning documentary “Resisterhood” by filmmaker CJ Crim about the power of women, hope and resistance in the aftermath of the 2016 Presidential Election. After the screening, a panel discussion was held with Kat Calvin, founder and executive director of Spread The Vote + Project ID and author of “American Identity in Crisis: Notes from an Accidental Activist”; Emiliana Guereca, founder of Women’s March Foundation; Rati Gupta, actor and content director of 5 Call Civic Action; Deborah Lee Smith, award-winning actor, Emmy-nominated producer, writer and mental health advocate; and Reena De Asis, principal of RDA Strategies and founder of Inclusive Sol, who moderated the panel discussion.

In addition to the Women’s Equality Day Celebration, the West Hollywood City Council issued a proclamation and West Hollywood City Hall and the city’s lanterns over Santa Monica Boulevard were lit in purple and yellow in recognition of the women’s suffrage movement.

For more than two decades, the city of West Hollywood has commemorated Women’s Equality Day in a variety of ways. The city was the first in the nation to declare itself pro-choice and has continually supported state and federal legislation protecting and advancing women’s reproductive rights and access to health care. The city supports the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and has a strong record of supporting initiatives that call for equal pay for equal work. The West Hollywood Women’s Advisory Board is involved in a myriad of programming and events that recognize and support women in the community.

For information, visit weho.org.