The League of Women Voters Diablo Valley was proud to participate in Congressman Mark DeSaulnier’s recent town hall on Advancing Women’s Equality, held in Orinda in honor of Women’s History Month. The League was represented by Janet Hoy and Kamryn Young, who joined Congressman DeSaulnier and Ruth Fernandez of First 5 Contra Costa as the event’s panelists, and shared their perspectives on issues impacting women and families.

Janet shared background on the League’s long history of protecting voting rights and referenced a statement from League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart warning that the United States is facing a constitutional crisis. She emphasized the importance of community mobilization in response to growing threats to democracy, particularly those affecting voter access. Janet specifically discussed the federal SAVE Act, explaining how its documentation requirements could disproportionately disenfranchise married women and other marginalized voters, as well as a potential voter ID initiative that may appear on California’s November ballot, noting how such measures often make voting more restrictive rather than more secure.

Kamryn spoke about low civic participation among young adults, particularly when it comes to voting, and addressed the gap between young people’s interest in social and political issues and their actual engagement at the ballot box. She highlighted how feelings of political disconnection and lack of representation can discourage young people’s participation, and shared the League’s ongoing efforts to meet young people where they are in order to make civic engagement more accessible. Overall, the conversation underscored the importance of informed voters, community involvement, and intergenerational engagement in strengthening democracy and advancing women’s equality!