Int. Women’s Day Panel: The Long Road to Gender Parity

In the quiet corridors of global progress, a sobering statistic echoes: 134 years. That’s how long the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report predicts it will take to reach gender parity worldwide. It’s a timeline that stretches beyond our lifetimes, a horizon we can glimpse but never reach unless something fundamental changes in our approach.

This is precisely why ShelterBox USA’s annual International Women’s Day panel carries such weight in 2025. Now established as Santa Barbara’s longest-running event celebrating this global day, this year’s gathering transforms the Music Academy of the West into an incubator of ideas centered around the urgent theme, “Invest in Women – Accelerate Action,” and the push for greater progress.

The carefully curated panel brings together women who don’t merely discuss change – they embody it. Captain Sheila Kelliher, the first woman to serve as Public Information Officer for Los Angeles County Fire Department, represents the front lines of gender barrier-breaking. Recently seen on the Grammy stage handing “Album of the Year” to Beyoncé, Kelliher has navigated the historically male-dominated firefighting profession while establishing a Women’s Fire Prep Academy, creating pathways for future generations to follow.

Senator Monique Limón offers a complementary perspective from the legislative sphere. As Vice Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus and representative of California’s 21st district, Limón crafts the policies that translate aspiration into structural change, particularly in advancing economic equality through pay equity legislation.

Community activist Trendy Tran brings yet another dimension to the conversation, focusing on economic opportunities for marginalized communities. Her work on the California Public Banking Act exemplifies how expanding access to financial systems can create cascading benefits for women and other underrepresented groups.

Completing the panel, Mindy Budgor – chronicled in her book Warrior Princess about becoming the first female Maasai warrior – now leads an AI-enabled company called Nines that empowers women’s self-perception, demonstrating how technology can become a tool for changing deeply ingrained narratives.

The significance of this event transcends inspiration. As ShelterBox President Kerri Murray explains, women suffer disproportionately during disasters and conflicts – from higher death rates to significant economic losses and increased gender-based violence. Yet paradoxically, women also prove essential to community recovery efforts after disasters strike.

This duality informs ShelterBox’s approach: acknowledging women’s unique vulnerabilities while recognizing their irreplaceable strength in rebuilding shattered communities. The panel serves as both celebration of progress and clear-eyed assessment of work still undone.

For the hundreds expected to attend – many being young women early in their careers seeking mentorship and inspiration – the event promises something beyond platitudes. It offers living proof that the seemingly immovable barriers of gender inequality can indeed be dismantled, one strategic action at a time.

The free community event, sponsored by Twin Hearts: Belle Hahn & Lily Hahn Shining, invites all to register through the ShelterBox USA website and participate in this vital conversation. Because shortening that 134-year timeline requires more than passive observation – it demands collective acceleration.  

ShelterBox USA’s International Women’s Day Panel will take place on Thursday, March 6^th, from 5-7 pm at the Music Academy of the West. Visit www.shelterboxusa.org/international-womens-day to RSVP.