International Women’s Day Celebration

The Greater Downtown Glendale Association is excited to host its fifth annual International Women’s Day Event on Friday, March 7, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the MYA Rooftop at The Glenmark Hotel. International Women’s Day has been celebrated globally for over 100 years, honoring the cultural, social, economic, and political achievements of women. This year’s theme, “Accelerate Action,” emphasizes the importance of advancing equity and creating impactful change within our communities.

The event will feature Glendale Mayor Elen Asatryan as the keynote speaker. As the city’s first Armenian woman Mayor, she has championed policies that prioritize equity, economic opportunity, and community well-being. Her leadership has been instrumental in restoring the powers of the Women’s Commission and expanding family leave policies. From cutting bureaucratic red tape to ensure government programs reach diverse communities, advancing affordable housing initiatives, and supporting small businesses to strengthening public safety and investing in the arts and sustainability, Mayor Asatryan continues to drive meaningful change that empowers all residents.

“International Women’s Day is a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come and how much more we must do to achieve true equity. ‘Accelerate Action’ is not just a theme—it’s a call to push forward with urgency, to uplift women, and to ensure that opportunity is not limited by gender. I am honored to join this event as we celebrate resilience, leadership, and the collective power of women driving change in Glendale and beyond.

In addition to the keynote, attendees will enjoy an afternoon filled with engaging discussions, opportunities to learn from women leaders, and a focus on accelerating progress for women in professional and personal spheres. The event will also include a networking reception, giving guests the chance to connect, exchange ideas, and form valuable relationships. Each ticket includes two drink tickets and appetizers, fostering a lively and welcoming atmosphere for meaningful conversations.

Join us for this important celebration as we honor women’s achievements, spark impactful dialogue, and work together to accelerate action for a more equitable future.

Special Guest Speaker

Mayor Elen Asatryan holds the distinction of being the city’s first Armenian-American woman, the first immigrant woman, and at 41 the youngest woman to serve as Mayor.

An award-winning human rights and social justice advocate, political consultant, and businesswoman, Mayor Asatryan brings to the Council her professional background in policy, advocacy, and public affairs at the local, state, and federal levels, and over twenty-five years of service to the Glendale community and beyond.

In her 2022 Glendale City Council Election in a pool of 8 candidates, Asatryan’s votes, surpassed by a wide margin former mayors Ara Najarian and Vrej Agajanian and broke historic record in Glendale by garnering more votes than the two incumbents as a newcomer in a race with no open seats.

In office, Mayor Asatryan remains a fierce advocate for access and equity, women’s issues, small businesses, fair housing, public safety, youth development, and cutting bureaucratic red tape.

Before founding her political consulting and public affairs firm in 2017, Mayor Asatryan served for over 11 years as Executive Director of the nation’s second-largest ethnic advocacy organization, the Armenian National Committee of America—first at its Glendale chapter and then the Western Region offices. There, she was responsible for strategy, government relations, policy and programs, development and implementation, and day-to-day operations of the regional headquarters and its local chapters in the 19 Western U.S. States.

Throughout her career, Mayor Asatryan has spearheaded and led successful political candidate and issue campaigns and initiatives on the local, state, and federal levels, which include: ensuring equal access and representation at government entities; creating public policy fellowship and internship programs for high school and college students, and recent college graduates; establishing the Glendale Domestic Violence Task Force, Free Legal Clinics, Path to College Program; expanding green space and access to programs for low-income families and marginalized communities; launching and implementing voter registration, education, and local initiatives, which resulted in registering over 50,000 new voters in LA County alone, leading to record-breaking voter turnout in some of the most competitive elections; securing recognition for the Armenian Genocide and Republic of Artsakh, and adoption of Genocide education curriculum in CA public schools.

Elen’s commitment to her community and civic engagement, in general, is evident in the years she has dedicated to serving on various committees and boards of local and regional organizations including: chair of the City of Glendale Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission, where she served as Chairwoman, board member of the Glendale Youth Alliance, Glendale Community Police Partnership Advisory Committee, the Glendale Unified School District Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, Los Angeles County Voter Outreach Committee, Los Angeles City Voter Outreach and Education Committee and many more. She is currently also a Commissioner on the Burbank Airport Authority, Independent Cities Association Board Member  and an elected member of the LACDP representing the 43rd Assembly District as well as a DSCC member.

Public service, leaving a positive footprint for future generations, and helping create a more just and equitable world is her driving force.

A proud product of Glendale’s public schools, Mayor Asatryan is also a UCLA graduate, where she studied Political Science with concentrations in American Politics and International Relations. She lives with her rescue dog, Buddy, and cherishes her most important role as the “cool aunt” to her two nephews Robert and David.

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