SPRINGDALE, Ohio ' Hamilton County commissioners on Aug. 14 swore in a new cohort for the Hamilton County Commission on Women and Girls and heard a summary of the group's work from director Mary Mounie.

"We know that 1 in 4 students, high school students and younger, cannot afford period products and that 4 in 5 students have missed school due to not having access to products," Mary Mounie, director of the Commission on Women and Girls, told the county board. Mounie outlined the commission's four objectives and described recent accomplishments that county leaders said have influenced local and state policy.

Why it matters: The commission's recommendations have led to county resolutions and program changes that affect schools, libraries and county buildings; the group's work also contributed to state legislation that mandates free menstrual products in certain Ohio schools.

Key points the commission highlighted
- Menstrual equity: Mounie said the commission led county efforts to make free menstrual products available in county buildings and helped encourage school districts to adopt similar policies. She noted that state legislation passed in 2023 requires free period products in all traditional public and certain nontraditional public schools enrolling girls in grades 6 through 12, with $5 million appropriated for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 to cover dispensers and supplies. She cited Oct. 3, 2023, as the effective date for that requirement.
- Domestic violence response: The commission helped expand the DVERT program countywide in 2019, ensuring victim advocates accompany law enforcement on domestic violence scenes beyond the city of Cincinnati.
- Pay equity: In 2021 the commission recommended the Hamilton County Pay Equity Commitment; the county established an annual pay equity signing day and had over 170 local employers signed on at the time of the presentation.
- Girls court and youth services: The commission supported development of a specialized girls' court through Hamilton County Juvenile Court intended to provide diversion and wraparound services; Mounie said the initiative is in development with an estimated start in the fourth quarter of the year.

Commissioners voiced support for the commission's ongoing work. President Driehaus and Commissioners Stephanie Summerall Dumas and Alicia Reese praised the mentorship model that pairs women with high‑school girls and noted the commission's success in moving local policy up to the Statehouse.

Formal action
The board approved a resolution appointing members to the Commission on Women and Girls; the motion passed unanimously.

Ending: Mounie told commissioners the commission will spend the next 10 months developing policy recommendations on pay equity, workforce access, lactation spaces and other topics for county consideration.