It was hard not to feel inspired on Friday afternoon at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons, where some of Hollywood’s most influential women gathered for Variety’s annual Power of Women luncheon. The women at the event, honored for their philanthropic work, included Nicole Kidman, Amy Pascal, Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Elizabeth Banks and Jennifer Hudson. As guests at the Audi-sponsored luncheon dined on halibut and sipped wine, Kidman, honored for her work with UN Women, was the first to take the stage. She began her speech with a small ode to her mother. “I was raised by a feminist mother. And yes, she said never be frightened about using the ‘F’ word. So I’m not,” she said, to laughter. “She believes in the sisterhood, and so do I. And she planted the seed in my early to speak out against the fact that women are so often treated differently than men.”
