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Celebrating Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month! From raising presidents to running for president - from balancing household checkbooks to balancing corporate budgets – from filming home movies to directing Oscar-winning documentaries – women do it all! To celebrate Women’s History Month we pay tribute and honor some historically significant women who have Columbus ties:
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Simone Biles, a world-recognized Olympian, famous for her innovative and gravity-defying gymnastics routines
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Jennette Bradley, American politician, first African American woman to serve on Columbus City Council
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Dorothy Cornelius, a registered nurse who was the only person to be president of the American Nurses Association, the International Council of Nurses, and the American Journal of Nursing Company
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Charlotte Curtis, longtime reporter for the Columbus Citizen and the first female senior editor at the New York Times
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Jerrie Mock – first woman to fly solo around the world in her plane, “The Spirit of Columbus”
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Aminah Robinson, a renowned artist who won a MacArthur Genius Grant and whose work is still displayed in the Columbus Museum of Art
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Viola D. Romans, who became the first woman elected to represent Franklin County in the Ohio General Assembly in 1925;
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Cheryl Brooks Sullivan, Franklin County Treasurer she is the first African American Franklin County Treasurer and the only African American elected County Treasurer in Ohio
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Kathryn Sullivan, a geologist and a former NASA astronaut who was the first American woman to walk in space
The Columbus Women’s Commission is proud to celebrate the successes of women in Columbus while continuing to strive toward a more equitable future. Celebrate the women in your life by contributing to positive change. Here are some easy ways to get started:
- Volunteer at a women’s or family shelter someday this month
- Donate personal hygiene products, baby supplies, coats, and more to non-profits like I Support the Girls Columbus and YWCA Columbus
- Contact your representatives about the importance of women’s issues, like access to paid family and medical leave, reproductive healthcare, and affordable childcare
- Share information you have learned and encourage others to join the conversation!
Thank you for the energy you choose to dedicate to uplifting and celebrating women! Every small act of solidarity moves us toward a more female-friendly future.
Additionally, join us on our revamped social media this month as we celebrate Women’s History Month and pay tribute to some of the Columbus community’s influential work regarding women’s rights and wellbeing!
*@CBUSWomen *
The Columbus Women’s Commission held a town hall on February 25. Over 200 community members joined us to learn about the work of the Commission. Mayor Ginther, First Lady Shannon Ginther, and Commissioners shared about the progress of the Commission and future work. Attendees had the opportunity to then share about what they are seeing as issues impacting women in Columbus, where the Commission should focus our work and future policy goals we should explore. Miss the event?
Watch it HERE or send us your thoughts and questions at WomensCommission@columbus.gov
Additionally, read about the Commission’s work, progress and vision in our 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Mayor’s Equity Agenda Announced at State of the City Address
Mayor Andrew Ginther delivered his State of the City address on February 13. The Mayor used this opportunity to announce his Equity Agenda, which aims to eliminate racism and discrimination and uplift all residents of Columbus in his coming term.
Mayor Ginther mentioned many of the issues that Columbus women and their families face, including infant mortality, human trafficking, the lack of affordable housing, a need for affordable childcare, and more.
Learn more here.
Read the entire speech here
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Health: Infant Mortality
While infant mortality decreased from 2018 to 2019 in the City of Columbus, the disparity between the number of black infant deaths and white infant deaths is still significant. This article in the Dispatch details the problem across the state, and concludes with the statistics that while Franklin county’s infant mortality rate is dropping, black babies are still over two times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies.
There are many factors that lead to infant mortality, including improper sexual health education and lack of access to prenatal healthcare. The Columbus Women’s Commission is currently working to standardize research-based sexual health education in schools around the city, as Ohio is the only state without a state-mandated curriculum regarding sexual health. SMART Columbus is pioneering self-driving shuttles to help expecting mothers with no means of transportation travel to essential prenatal doctor’s visits.
We continue to search for innovative ways to improve the health of both pregnant women and their babies. CelebrateOne has worked for the past five years to educate women who are or may become pregnant about infant health and safety, while also training community health workers to reach women who may not have access to CelebrateOne’s events or educational materials on their own.
Thank you to all of our community partners working on eliminating the racial disparity and the tragedy of infant mortality from our city.
Smithsonian Women's History Museum
The United States House of Representatives recently overwhelmingly votes to approve a bill to create a Smithsonian Women's History Museum in Washington, D.C.! Bill H.R. 1980 is currently in the Senate awaiting a hearing on the floor. If the resolution is passed, serious planning on the museum can begin. Congress would assign a committee to provide recommendations on the planning, design, and location of the museum to the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Museum. "For too long, women's history has been left out of the telling of our nation's history," the bill's sponsors said in a joint statement. What an achievement towards telling Women’s stories! Read more here.
Paid Family Leave
Could 2020 be the year the U.S FINALLY has paid family leave? The United States remains the only developed nation with no national paid leave policy. However, that may change. Both U.S. Congress and the Ohio legislature are hearing testimony on reforms that would establish paid family leave.
Read more HERE and HERE.
Buckeye Health Plan
Buckeye Hospitality Construction
Columbus Crew SC
Columbus Council on World Affairs
Columbus Symphony
Concord Hospitality Enterprises
EDGE Innovation Hub
IGS Energy
Inspire PR Group
Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing
Taft Stettinius & Hollister
County Recorder Daniel J. O’Connor, Jr. announced on February 25 that the Franklin County Recorder’s Office would extend paid family leave from a two week-maximum to a three month-maximum, allowing parents to bond with and take care of newborns and recently adopted children. This policy change signifies the implementation of the longest paid parental leave coverage in the public sector in Franklin County.
Thank you to Franklin County Recorder Danny O’Conner for your continued support of women and families in Columbus. This is a wonderful step toward equity!!
Read more here.
Women Make Gains in the Workplace amid a Rising Demand for Skilled Workers
New research from the Pew Institute find that the gender wage gap may be narrowing as women are moving into high-skill jobs and are acquiring more education. Presently, women are in the majority in jobs that draw most heavily on either social or fundamental skills – such as legal, teaching and counseling occupations – accounting for 52% of employment in these jobs in 2018 (up from roughly 40% in 1980). The share of women has also risen greatly among those working in occupations that rely most on analytical skills – such as accounting and dentistry – from 27% in 1980 to 42% in 2018.The growing presence of women in higher-skill occupations has contributed to more rapid wage growth for them in recent decades compared with men, and this helped to narrow the gender wage gap. From 1980 to 2018, the average hourly wage of women increased 45%, from $15 to $22, compared with an increase of 14% for men, from $23 to $26.
Read more HERE.
Councilmember Tyson Receives Poindexter Award
African Americans have made significant contributions in defining the vibrant cultural legacy of Columbus. On Wednesday February 19, 2020, Columbus City Council recognized and honored the achievements of African Americans in the Capital City during its second annual Black History Month Celebration.
“Columbus' Black community has a rich and vibrant history,” said Council President Shannon G. Hardin. “I’m honored to help tell the stories of Black folks, past and present, who have helped mold Columbus into one of the best cities in America.”
The celebration highlighted Black culture, as well as honored several African American pillars in the City of Columbus and their achievements with the Poindexter Award. The award is given in honor of James Preston Poindexter, the clergyman, abolitionist, civil rights activist and political pioneer who was the first Black City of Columbus Councilmember in the 1880s.
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Ohio History Center: 100 Years of Ohio Women’s Activism – Saturday, March 14.Join the Ohio History Connection as they kick-off their yearlong commemoration of the passing of the 19th This amendment gave many women the right to vote by making it illegal to discriminate against voters on the basis of sex. This major victory was only the beginning for women’s activism. You’ll have the chance to learn more about women’s suffrage and activism – from the state’s earliest days to now.
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Franklinton Community Building Trades & Apprenticeship Job Fair—March 18th. Learn about careers in the skilled construction trades, meet construction professionals who can answer your questions, and learn how to apply for a career in the construction industry. Professional services will be present to help meet and navigate eligibility requirements. Learn more & register HERE.
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Community Relations Commission: Pay Equity in America’s Opportunity City —Thursday, March 19. Join the Community Relations Commission and the Columbus Women’s Commission at the second 2020 Lunch and Learn, part of the five part series focused on a woman’s journey in Columbus. The sessions will focus on barriers facing women in the community and how everyone can contribute to reducing gender discrimination. Learn more and register HERE.
*trigger warning – the last article this month mentions sexual assault*
Columbus Dispatch: Ohio lawmakers move to ban transgender athletes from girls and women’s sports
WOSU: New Columbus Diversity Officer Takes Up Task Of Expanding Inclusion Efforts
Columbus Dispatch: Woman Bikes 40 Minutes to Cast Early Ballot; Here’s Who Got Her Vote
Columbus Underground: Local Woman Running 2020 Boston Marathon as Charity Runner
Columbus Alive: Janice Kaplan Wants to Change How You Think of Geniuses
NY Times: Full Coverage: Harvey Weinstein Is Found Guilty of Rape
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