Students from Kent State Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) celebrated International Women’s Day with a speak out on the K.

Maya Niesz-Kutsch, senior and co-chair of SDS, began the event by giving a brief history of International Women’s Day in America.

“In order to look to the present and future, you must look to the past,” she said. “Women’s Day began picking up steam by women organizers in the Socialist and Labor movements. This was in the direct aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire where hundreds of young women workers died brutally from being trapped in a factory fire because they were treated as dispensable.”

She continued, “Much of what our fellow organizers fought for back then are things we fight for today. The rights to have our jobs treat us with dignity, the right for equal recognition under the law and the right to live your life free of discrimination.”

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, abortion was a primary issue for demonstrators at the speak out.

“Abortion is completely banned in 13 states and 26 states in total have some kind of law severely restricting it,” Niesz-Kutsch said.

Niesz-Kutsch also addressed transgender rights.

“Acts on gender-affirming care continue to rise with bans on transition care for minors being proposed in states like Florida and Utah,” she said. “Trans issues are women’s issues.”

Next to speak was former Kent State student and current employee for Ohio’s Center for Sex Education, Kenzi Burchett.

Burchett said reproductive healthcare has become inaccessible in Ohio.

“We are currently battling restrictions, things like a 24-hour mandated waiting period and mandated state counseling that is full of bias and misinformation as well as only having nine active clinics,” she said.

Burchett said she wanted to increase awareness on campus for women’s issues.

“We are here today to show the world, show our community here at Kent State that we won’t ever back down on any attacks based around reproductive justice, queer justice and liberation as well as ending gender-based violence,” she said. “These are issues that are in our community as well as throughout the state of Ohio.”

Burchett said people frequently ask her what they can do to help.

“One thing we can do is what you all are doing here today, openly standing out and speaking out, saying the word abortion, being not afraid to stand up for reproductive justice,” she said. “Openly supporting our queer family and queer friends that are all around us and just making sure we are out and taking a stand.”

Taiwo Mack, junior education studies major, organizing intern with the ACLU of Ohio and director of Kent State’s ALCU Campus Action Team was next to speak.

Mack talked about ALCU of Ohio’s new campaign, Ohioans for Reproductive Freedoms Coalition, in which they are collecting signatures on campus for reproductive rights.

Christian Heller, junior and co-chair for SDS, also spoke. He spoke about reproductive rights.

“Senator Lindsay Graham proposed a nationwide abortion ban that would ban abortion fifteen weeks after pregnancy,” he said. “The bill allows states to make more restricted abortion laws but does not allow for more lenient laws.”

He also talked about what people can do at local levels.

“At times when we can’t trust our politicians to fight for us, we must fight for ourselves,” he said. “We must mobilize a massive movement of Americans to take to the streets and demand reproductive justice. We must help each other now.

Heller also gave the university a way to respond.

“That is why Students for a Democratic Society is calling on Kent State University to offer free Plan B to students and expand the types of quality of contraception offered on campus to students,” he said.

The final speaker was Lucas Fratianne, junior visual communication design major and SDS member, who talked about other issues women are currently facing.

“While reproductive rights are currently under furious attack, inequality that women face is more than this,” he said. “Women workers on average earn 77% of male workers’ own workforce.”

He continued, “Black women earn about 77% of the average income for all women. Chicano and Latina women earn only about 70% of the average for all women.”

Fratianne then addressed the sexual violence that women experience.

“Sexual violence and intimate partner abuse is tolerated and taken lightly by the U.S. legal system,” he said. “It’s no accident that the vast majority of victims in these crimes are women.”

He concluded his speech by returning to the importance of the overturn of Roe v. Wade as well as transgender rights.

“A person who does not have final say over what to do with their body is not free,” Fratianne said.

After the final speech, demonstrators moved to the rock and spray painted “Abortion for all” on it.

Adriana Gasiewski is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].