Bringing together L.A. leaders and 700 young people for gender equity.

Mayor Eric Garcetti and First Lady Amy Elaine Wakeland hosted the inaugural Los Angeles State of Women & Girls Address and Young Women’s Assembly on March 14, 2017.

Taking place at the University of Southern California, the event brought together leaders from government, business, sports, and the nonprofit world, as well as hundreds of LAUSD students, for a series of in-depth conversations, workshops, and presentations on gender equality in Los Angeles.

We partnered with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Innovation Team (i-team) to bring the conference together. The day began with special addresses from the Mayor and the First Lady. A Young Women’s Assembly for 700 LAUSD students included workshops, leadership training, and panel discussions featuring top women leaders in the business, entertainment, finance, technology, and public sectors. Students also participated in a resource fair featuring dozens of nonprofit organizations.

The conference marked another landmark on L.A.’s journey toward full gender equality. A follow-up conference is currently in the works.

The address and conference also served as an opportunity to gather support for these programs that empower and enrich the lives of young women and girls across Los Angeles.

Girls Play L.A. offers improved programming at parks where girls’ sports and fitness participation is low. We are raising funds to help Girls Play L.A. meet a bold target by the end of 2018: 40% participation by girls in the City’s Recreation and Parks sports and fitness programs.

Girls Fire Camp is a new two-day program that pairs girls ages 14-18 with active duty LAFD female firefighters and cadets for hands-on activities with firefighting tools, equipment, and personal protective gear. Our hope is to encourage girls toward a career in public service and grow the ranks of women in the LAFD.