More than 200 community members joined Sen. Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) on May 27 at the historic Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club, where he honored Amy Ziering as this year’s Senate District 26 Woman of the Year.
Every year, in a tradition dating back to 1987, the California State Senate celebrates Women’s History Month by recognizing remarkable women throughout the state who make a positive difference in their communities.
“I congratulate Ms. Ziering on this honor which recognizes both her courageous work as the producer of The Invisible War and The Hunting Ground and her tenacious leadership in spurring national policy change around sexual assault. Ms. Ziering is an inspiring example of the impact one person can have on a seemingly intractable issue,” Allen said.
During the reception’s program, Kirby Dick, the award-winning director of The Invisible War and The Hunting Ground, introduced excerpts from the documentaries and praised Ms. Ziering as “the best documentary producer there is.”
Ziering, on accepting her Senate Resolution, thanked Allen for the honor and for creating a space to celebrate women.
In her remarks, Ziering shared how her father’s experience as a Holocaust survivor helped motivate her passion for telling “the stories of the unheard.”
Her moving anecdotes of interviews with survivors of sexual assault and her message of the transformative power of listening left many of the audience members in tears and prompted a standing ovation.
