A square that's home to 11 statues of men and no statues of women is about to get a big change
A suffragette who dedicated her life to getting women the vote is to become the first woman honoured with a statue in London's Parliament Square, the UK's political centre.
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The statue of suffragist Millicent Fawcett — one of the leading figures in the campaign for women's voting rights in the UK — will stand alongside statues of Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela outside the Houses of Parliament. All 11 statues in the square are currently of men, making Fawcett the first woman to be honoured in this way.
Fawcett led the peaceful campaign for women's suffrage for 62 years, during which suffragettes fought for voting rights to be extended to women. February 2018 will mark 100 years since the Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed, which granted women over the age of 30 in the UK the right to vote. Full equality at the ballot box wasn't achieved until a decade later, one year before Fawcett’s death.
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The erection of the statue is the result of a campaign led by activist Caroline Criado-Perez. The campaign saw high-profile women — including Emma Watson and J.K. Rowling — sign an open letter urging London Mayor Sadiq Khan to erect a statue of a suffragette in Parliament Square by February 2018.
"A statue of [Fawcett] in Parliament Square will be a fitting tribute," said Sam Smethers, chief executive of women's rights organisation the Fawcett Society, in a statement.
Fawcett said the organisation is delighted that the woman who led the constitutional campaign for votes for women will finally be honoured.
"Her contribution was great but she has been overlooked and unrecognised until now. By honouring her we also honour the wider suffrage movement," Smethers continued.
In a statement issued by the government, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that Fawcett's example set during the struggle for equality continues to inspire the battle against "the burning injustices of today."
"It is right and proper that she is honoured in Parliament Square alongside former leaders who changed our country," said May.
"Her statue will stand as a reminder of how politics only has value if it works for everyone in society," May continued.
