Story highlights "We need to understand why this happened," Jane Fonda says at a fundraiser

Gloria Steinem: "We have each other, and we're going to go forward"

Atlanta (CNN) Jane Fonda says she has a message for women who may be reeling from the results of this week's presidential election: Listen.

"I feel like I was hit by a truck, frankly. ... I am scared, as a woman. I have daughters. I have granddaughters. I'm scared. But I know that we need to understand why this happened, and what it means, and how do we move forward together," she said.

Speaking at the Atlanta Women's Foundation's annual luncheon Thursday, the actress and activist said she was happy to be back in a state that taught her an important lesson.

"I am very grateful for the time that I lived in Georgia. I learned so much," Fonda said. "And one of the most important things that l learned was the importance of listening to people who you don't agree with, with an open heart."

And that's what needs to happen now, she said.

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