Hundreds Gather in Dayton to Celebrate 100 Years of Women's Voting Rights

Ohio Women Vote: 100 Years of Change event features exhibit, documentary, and panel discussion on the state's suffrage movement history.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Hundreds of people filled Dayton's Victoria Theatre to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Ohio. The event featured an exhibit highlighting the state's history in the fight for women's voting rights, a documentary screening, and a panel discussion on the current state of voter suppression and the progress that remains to be made.

Why it matters

The event commemorated a pivotal moment in American history, the passage of the 19th Amendment which secured the constitutional right for women to vote nationwide. It also underscored the ongoing challenges around voter suppression and the need to continue fighting for equal voting rights and access.

The details

The Ohio Women Vote: 100 Years of Change event included an exhibit curated by local colleges and universities that educated attendees on key figures in Ohio's suffrage movement, such as Ida B. Wells and Alice Paul. After the exhibit, guests watched a 57-minute documentary titled "Let Ohio Women Vote" that provided an in-depth look at the legacy of the women's voting rights fight in the state. A panel discussion followed, featuring Broadway producer Rachel Sussman, Dayton Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss, Ohio's first female Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, and the documentary's producer Ann Rotolante.

  • The event was held on March 9, 2026 to coincide with National Women's Day.
  • The Broadway musical "Suffs", which celebrates the women's suffrage movement, is scheduled to come to Dayton's Schuster Center from March 31 to April 5, 2026.

The players

Rachel Sussman

The lead Broadway producer of the musical "Suffs" and a Tony Award winner.

Shenise Turner-Sloss

The Mayor of Dayton, Ohio.

Maureen O'Connor

The first woman to lead Ohio's judicial branch as the 10th Chief Justice.

Ann Rotolante

The producer of the documentary "Let Ohio Women Vote".

Ida B. Wells

A key figure in the women's suffrage movement from Ohio.

Alice Paul

Another important leader in the women's suffrage movement from Ohio.

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What they’re saying

“It takes not just gender, but also race and sexuality, and you need to be able to have all these elements intertwined to fight for progress for everyone. It took three generations of women to get the 19th Amendment passed, which ultimately secured the constitutional right for women to vote in 1920...This notion of we can all fight for the same end using different tactics of how to get there, and that we need Everyone in this fight. There is no one right way to get it done.”

— Rachel Sussman, Broadway Producer

“We must band together collectively to really start moving the needle and pushing forward, because the women's suffrage is still in fact, prevalent and persistent today in the 21st century.”

— Shenise Turner-Sloss, Mayor of Dayton

“It makes you think too about the fact that we wanted this and we could not achieve it for ourselves. We had to have men vote to accept this change. And that just is kind of mind-blowing that enough men were cool with this idea.”

— Ann Rotolante, Documentary Producer

What’s next

The Broadway musical "Suffs", which celebrates the women's suffrage movement, is scheduled to come to Dayton's Schuster Center from March 31 to April 5, 2026, providing another opportunity for the community to engage with and learn about this important history.

The takeaway

The Ohio Women Vote: 100 Years of Change event underscored the ongoing fight for voting rights and the need to continue building coalitions across gender, race, and sexuality to achieve progress. It also highlighted the important role that Ohio played in the women's suffrage movement and the state's continued efforts to protect and expand voting access for all citizens.