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ShelterBox had the privilege and honor of commemorating International Women’s Day with over 140 attendees at the prestigious Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. It was an enriching experience as our esteemed panelists took the stage for a dynamic and inspiring conversation.
If you missed the event, don’t worry! You can watch the recording to witness our panelists’ thought-provoking discussions and insightful perspectives.
We believe that investing in women is key to accelerating progress in our world. May this panel discussion inspire you to explore new ways to support and empower women in your communities and beyond.
Let’s continue to celebrate and uplift the achievements of women everywhere, today and every day.
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Catherine Reitman
Creator, executive producer, writer, actress, and star of the Emmy-nominated show Workin' Moms, now in its 7th season airing on Netflix
Catherine Reitman is a writer, showrunner, actress, comedian, producer and director best known as the creator and star of Workin’ Moms, which originally aired on Canada’s CBC and is now available globally on Netflix. The series recently premiered its and final season which instantaneously rose to the Top 10 Watch List. It was ranked the third most watched series globally the month of its release. Catherine is also widely recognized for her roles on ABC’s hit series Blackish, for which she has also directed an episode, and FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Additionally, she can be seen in Kenya Barris’ Netflix series, Black AF.
On the writing side, she recently adapted the New York Times Best Selling book “Bringing Up Bébé” into a screenplay that will be shooting this summer for Studio Canal. Catherine is also developing The Donut, a 30-minute single camera comedy, for FOX and the CBC.
In 2016, she formed Wolf + Rabbit Entertainment with her husband Philip Sternberg to produce the half-hour, single-camera comedy Workin’ Moms for CBC. She is the creator, executive producer, writer and star of the series, which is now in production on its seventh season. In addition, Reitman directed several episodes throughout the series. Workin’ Moms has received two International Emmy Award nominations for Best Comedy Series and multiple Canadian Screen Award nominations for each season.
She has become involved in philanthropy, producing and performing in multiple charity improv nights, donating proceeds to organizations helping women in need, like Nellie’s, The New Mom Project and FINCA.
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Janine Berridge
President, Giving List Women, Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC, Co-founder of the Global Lab for Research in Action
Janine Berridge has over 15 years of experience as an impact leader in the non-profit, academia, consulting, and philanthropic sectors. Janine currently serves as President of the Giving List Women: an annual print and digital publication, philanthropic summit, and nonprofit leadership seminar which builds relationships, passion, and commitment around intersectional feminist philanthropy, with the goal of unlocking billions of dollars towards improving the world through investing in women and girls.
Previously, Janine co-founded the Global Lab for Research in Action at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Policy: a research and policy institute pathing the way for bold new solutions like decriminalizing sex work, engaging boys alongside girls to advance gender justice, and reframing stories about women’s work and worth. Her prior global development work with Plan UK took her to Zambia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and India.
She believes in the power of increasing representation of women in elected and appointed positions and belongs to the Los Angeles Women’s Collective, a political action committee that empowers women in Los Angeles to influence political and legislative progress.
Janine holds an MPP from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and is a Pacific Council on International Policy AMPLIFY Fellow. Janine grew up in Wales and is proud of her heritage as granddaughter to a Gambian stowaway, as well as her role as mother to a 5-year-old daughter who calls herself Tiger.
![Ann Beagan](https://www.shelterboxusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Ann-Beagan.png)
Anne Beagan
Founder & CEO, Anne Beagan Productions, FBI Agent - turned Producer
Anne Beagan is a former FBI Special Agent-turned Producer and founder of Anne Beagan Productions, who spent 23 years with the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency, having served in the Bureau’s largest field divisions, New York and Los Angeles, as well as tackling challenging special-duty assignments to FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC, and a classifies detail in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Beagan retired from the FBI in 2020 as the youngest female Agent eligible to do so and started her eponymous production company where she continues to use her investigative and media experience, internal subject-matter experts and personal creativity to further the conversation about telling thoughtful, accurate and compelling stories. Along with a series set up at Legendary Entertainment, Beagan co-created and served as an EP on “26th Street Garage: the FBI’s untold story of 9/11” currently streaming on Paramount+ and its sister show, FBI TRUE which is in its 4th season also streaming on Paramount+ and CBS.
![Eileen Boris](https://www.shelterboxusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Eileen-Boris.png)
Eileen Boris
Hull Professor and Distinguished Professor of Feminist Studies, UCSB
Eileen Boris–Hull Professor and Distinguished Professor of Feminist Studies, History, Black Studies, and Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara–writes on the home as a workplace, intimate labors, and racialized gender and the state. Her books include the prize-winners Home to Work: Motherhood and the Politics of Industrial Homework in the United States [Cambridge University Press, 1994] and Caring for America: Home Health Workers in the Shadow of the Welfare State, co-authored with Jennifer Klein (Oxford, 2012). Her latest are Making the Woman Worker: Precarious Labor and the Fight for Global Standards, 1919-2019 (Oxford, 2019) and Global Labor Migration: New Directions, co-edited with Heidi Gottfried, Julie Greene, and Joo-Cheong Tham (Illinois 2023). She is a board member of Scholars for a New Deal for Higher Education, on the executive board of the Santa Barbara Faculty Association, and on the US team of a 6-country project on “Care After Covid.” In 2022, she served on the advisory committee convened by Cal OSHA to develop voluntary health and safety standards for household workers.
![Nahla Kayali](https://www.shelterboxusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nahla-Kayali.jpg)
Nahla Kayali
Founder & Executive Director, Access California Services
Married at the age of 16 with a 9th grade education, she is a woman who truly earned the title “Champion of Change” – a title she received in 2014 from former President Barack Obama at the White House. A self-taught refugee woman who was able to rise above her challenges and serve humanity day in and day out – Nahla Kayali has been described by the White House as a foot soldier. And a foot soldier she is. This Palestinian refugee from Syria founded the nonprofit organization Access California Services (AccessCal) through perseverance and vision. Established in 1998, AccessCal now serves close to 12,000 underserved and vulnerable individuals, including immigrants and refugees each year with over 65,000 services. This is done under the care of close to 40 diverse staff to ensure the cultural and linguistic competency of AccessCal.
![Kerri Murray (2)](https://www.shelterboxusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Kerri-Murray-2.png)
Kerri Murray
President, ShelterBox USA
Kerry Murray was appointed President of ShelterBox USA in November 2015, bringing nearly two decades of experience to the organization. Murray has a proven track record delivering high growth in business and nonprofit sectors, including five years with Direct Relief, where she served as Vice President, leading development, communications, and marketing, and 13 years at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals.
During her tenure, ShelterBox has grown to serve over 300,000 people annually and more than 3 Million since the organization’s founding in 2000. Murray has served on the frontlines of disaster and conflict situations, including Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the war in Ukraine, and earthquake response in Morrocco.
Murray is a member of the Rotary Club of Montecito and regularly speaks on issues of philanthropy, international development, and female empowerment. Murray also served as board chair of Girls Rock, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls through music. Murray was recognized with the 2024 Martin Luther King Vision Award from Providence College.
WOMEN ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY DISASTER
As women around the world flee violence and face disasters, they are often left homeless and vulnerable.
Women experience higher death rates, increased gender-based violence, economic loss and loss of education. However, women are pivotal in the recovery process – they are often the first responders to a crisis and play a central role in the survival and resilience of families and communities.
Last year we reached thousands of women, delivering emergency shelter and supporting them to rebuild their homes and their lives.
Join us, stand with her, and help empower women around the world. #ShelterHer
HOW SHELTERBOX IS WORKING TO CHANGE THIS
At ShelterBox, we prioritize the most vulnerable families and communities and empower them to rebuild and restart.
By providing women and families with immediate emergency aid we can help them recover faster. Rebuilding their homes, caring for their families, resuming their livelihoods.
Learn more about how ShelterBox supports women
An estimated ONE IN FIVE female refugees have experienced sexual violence – actual numbers could be much higher
Violence against women increases in conflict settings, with more than 70% of women experiencing it in some crisis settings (ActionAid)
60% of preventable maternal deaths take place in settings of conflict, displacement and disasters (UNFPA)
TAKE THE #SHELTERHER CHALLENGE
You can help empower women who have lost everything to disaster or violent conflict. Take the #ShelterHer Challenge and give a monthly gift of $85.
Over the course of a year, your monthly gift of $85 can fund a complete ShelterBox to provide shelter, supplies, and a home for a displaced woman to take care of her family and rebuild her community.
Today only, your gift will be matched up to $20,000 thanks to generous ShelterBox supporters.
Pam Pine, long time ShelterBox supporter, Ambassador, and Rotarian generously increased our anonymous match from $10,000 to $20,000 in honor of her son, Jesse, and his commitment to sheltering families through his Ride for ShelterBox. Pam was especially moved to participate on IWD in light of the crisis unfolding in Ukraine.
(This match gift is) in honor of all women, especially those who struggle to keep their families together in times of displacement.”
Together, we can help families return to normal by providing women with the tools and training they need. Together we can empower women after disaster.