COLUMBUS — The Ohio Women’s Monument was unveiled Wednesday, Oct. 14, on the South Plaza of the Ohio Statehouse, becoming a permanent tribute to the women who fought for voting rights and shaped the state across more than a century.
Well over 100 people gathered for a morning program at the nearby Ohio Theatre before crossing to the Statehouse grounds for a ribbon-cutting attended by Gov. Mike DeWine and community members. The two-hour celebration included speeches, a poem and a time-lapse video showing the monument’s creation.
The work was sculpted by artist Brenda Councill, who spent months creating the bronze figures. The monument features figures representing different eras of women’s activism and achievement, set with granite columns engraved with the names of Ohio women who left a mark on the state. One column is intentionally left without a figure, as a place held for the accomplishments still to come.
Organizers say the Statehouse grounds have long honored presidents, governors and other public figures, but until now had not depicted real women in this way. Supporters described the monument as a first of its kind on Capitol Square, intended to teach visitors — especially young girls — that Ohio history includes the women who organized, marched and led in its communities and in the halls of state government.
The project was made possible by the Capitol Square Foundation, the former Ohio Women’s Suffrage Commission and private donors, with support from other civic partners. Planning stretched back to the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which Ohio ratified in 1919, and the idea for a permanent monument grew out of efforts to mark that anniversary in a lasting form.
For the Capitol Square Foundation’s leadership, the dedication carried a personal span of generations — from women born before women could vote, to grandchildren born last year who will grow up seeing the monument as a normal part of the Statehouse landscape. That generational contrast was a recurring theme of the morning.
The monument is now open to the public on the South Plaza, across from the Ohio Theatre, where school groups, tour visitors and anyone walking Capitol Square can see it without a ticket or an appointment. NewsForce247 will note any additional programs or educational events the foundation schedules around the new installation.