Reps. Somani, Abdullahi Introduce Legislation to Establish March 8 as International Women's Day in Ohio

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) and Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) today formally introduced legislation that would establish March 8th as International Women’s Day in the State of Ohio.

“International Women’s Day is a day to honor the trailblazers around the world who have led the fight for women’s equality,” said Rep. Somani. “As trailblazers in Ohio, we have enshrined reproductive rights into our constitution. Now, let’s work on establishing International Women’s Day in Ohio.”

International Women’s Day is a global celebration of women to recognize the achievements of women and the progress that has been made towards women’s equality. The day was officially recognized in 1977 by the United Nations but is not recognized in Ohio.

With the passage of Issue 1 in November 2023, access to reproductive care has been enshrined into the Constitution. Since then, Rep. Somani has continued to fight for women’s rights in the reproductive field with the introduction of The Reproductive Care Act, legislation that would remove barriers to reproductive care and provide protections for patients and providers.  

The legislation now awaits a bill number and assignment to a House Committee.