OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership in Ohio

09/15/2026

OPAWL invites women, girls, and LGBTQ+ folks from the Ohio Bhutanese Nepali community to join us for a community Voter Education Event on Saturday, September 26!

This free event is an opportunity to meet fellow community members, gather information and resources, and prepare for the upcoming election.

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM–4:00 PM
Venue: Columbus, OH (Bexley area — The location will be shared once we receive your RSVP)
Lunch: Vegetarian lunch will be provided.
Limited Childcare available (first come, first served)
Nepali translation provided

RSVP today at bit.ly/bnvoter!

We look forward to this important community conversation. Please bring any election-related questions you may have; we want this space to help you feel prepared for this upcoming election. Help us spread the word, and we hope to see you there!

05/24/2026

It was a rainy Columbus Asian Festival but we still got to talk to attendees and ask them the question "What is your wish for refugees and immigrants?" We got a lot of amazing answers! See us again tomorrow at Booth 18 at the marketplace! We also have merch for sale!

05/15/2026

It's finally here! You can now get OPAWL Merch just in time for AAPI Heritage Month! Support our work to build power for AAPIs in Ohio and get cute gear!

Go to our link in bio or bit.ly/opawlmerchshop

Meet the Artist: Our wonderful designs are created by Korean American illustrator and OPAWL member Erin Siao.

You can find her at

03/19/2026

Join us on April 4 to be empowered and build stronger communities together with other Bhutanese-Nepali women and LGBTQ+ folks!

We will hear directly from an inspiring panel of local South Asian women leaders, learn about our rights when voting or interacting with law enforcement, and talk about issues impacting our community here in Central Ohio. The conversations and information shared will primarily be in English.

Date & Time: Saturday, April 4, from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Venue: 676 Brook Hollow, Columbus, OH 43230
Cost: Free! Lunch will be provided.
Registration is open to Bhutanese-Nepali women and LGBTQ+ people. Please RSVP by Tuesday, March 31: https://bit.ly/4lfFsSq

03/11/2026

What: Stop HB 200 Testimony Workshop
When: Thursday March,12 7-8pm

Join OPAWL, Ohioans against Extremism, Young Latino Network and other partners for a Virtual Testimony Writing Workshop to Stop House Bill 200. HB 200 is a dangerous bill that would make being undocumented in Ohio a felony and forces local police to cooperate with ICE in DHS. Join a community of like-minded Ohioans to learn all you need to know to write and submit a testimony to the Ohio House Public Safety Committee. Protect your neighbors and put an end to government overreach!

Register at bit.ly/stopHB200

02/23/2026

OPAWL Co-Director Jona Hilario delivered testimony at last week’s Columbus City Council hearing on federal immigration enforcement. She spoke about how the threat of ICE is impacting AAPI communities, the importance of more dollars for the Columbus Families Together Fund, and the need to cut ties with mass surveillance companies like Flock Safety which endanger all of us.

Contact your city Councilmembers to demonstrate that Columbus residents support immediate robust action to protect our communities!

02/17/2026

Please join us this Wednesday, February 18th, at 6pm EST for an informative Constitutional Observers Training, in collaboration with our partners at MN8. Visit bit.ly/feb18-training to register for this event on Zoom.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

02/03/2026

In collaboration with MN8, please join OPAWL on Wednesday, February 18th, at 6pm EST for an informative Constitutional Observer Training.

This event blends basic “Know Your Rights” education and “rapid response” protocols in a practical, hands-on learning experience.

We all have different roles to play in order to protect immigrant communities. It is our hope that this training may better equip community members with the history, legal context, and constitutional foundations behind people’s rights during interactions with law enforcement and government officials. The training will also oversee topics such as observational procedures, tools for staying calm, on-scene effectiveness, and how to protect yourself while supporting community accountability.

Please visit bit.ly/feb18-training to register for this event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

12/11/2025

Join us next Thursday at Two Dollar Radio HQ for the latest in our monthly Community Conversation series.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1573290063802864

12/11/2025

"No one deserves this cruelty. Mohan must be allowed to be reunited with his beautiful family." - Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib

Mohan Karki's family and others with Nepali ancestry were persecuted and driven out of Bhutan in the 1990s. Karki himself was born in a refugee camp in nearby Nepal. Yet, the U.S. government claims he is a Bhutanese citizen and seeks to deport him there.