This inaugural event is the first-of-its-kind to honor 40 influential women at the same time. Among the prestigious honorees are Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, First Partner of California Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Justice for Women Founder Daphna Ziman, Olympian Jeanette Bolden-Pickens, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, LA City Councilwomen, LA County Board Supervisors, and more.
Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development. Moreover, it has been shown that empowering women spurs productivity and economic growth, said Daphna E. Ziman, founder of Justice for Women, is an activist, NY Times Best Selling author and writer/director, children's advocate, and political activist. She is the President of Cinémoi TV Network and devotes her time to improving and protecting the lives of women, children and foster youth. Her experience and unwavering commitment offer a unique perspective on the empowerment of women and cultural diversity.
The prominence of women honored at the Cultural Inclusion Foundation event epitomizes International Women's Month, a global celebration of economic, political, and social achievements of women observed annually in March," said CIF Co-Founder and Vice President Richard A. Hanner, Sr. "We applaud and acknowledge their tireless work and outstanding accomplishments in support of our collective fight to improve the quality of life for persons affected by mental illness in the respective communities they serve and worldwide.
CIF's mission includes the fight to improve lives affected by mental illness and supports NAMI Urban Los Angeles (NULA) that was founded in 2003. It is the urban affiliate of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to educating, advocating, supporting, and building better lives for the millions of individuals & families affected by mental illness.
NULA provides education about severe brain disorders, supports increased funding for research, and advocates for adequate health insurance, housing rehabilitation, and jobs for people with serious psychiatric illnesses in communities of color. It also seeks to educate the public about the myths of mental illness to eradicate stigma. NULA seeks to be a beacon of hope in the community it serves.
U.S. President Joe Biden focused on mental illness in his State of the Union Address. "Two out of five adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression. Black and Brown communities are disproportionately undertreated – even as their burden of mental illness has continued to rise," said President Biden. "Even before the pandemic, rates of depression and anxiety were inching higher. But the grief, trauma, and physical isolation of the last two years have driven Americans to a breaking point."
According to Help for Our Heroes program, post-traumatic stress disorder affects more than 7.7 million Americans. Veterans are at a higher risk of suffering from PTSD. To help address this disparity, CIF connects Veterans to health, housing and business support. "Our service for Veterans includes their children by providing toys during the holidays," said Hanner who is an Air Force Veteran. "On a year-round basis we provide blankets to unhoused Veterans and seniors."
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