Celebrate women

Influential and iconic Scottish women are to be celebrated in Paisley.

Take a look around any town centre and often the only public monuments you will see dedicated to women are either Queen Victoria or an anonymous representation.

A new workshop by the History Girls Frae Scotland — researchers Rachael Purse and Karen Mailley-Watt — sets out to explore the relative lack of statues dedicated to the nation’s great women.

The free, ticketed, hourlong event — titled Scottish Women — How should we celebrate them? — will be held at Paisley Arts Centre on Friday, from 1.30pm.

It follows on from a Renfrewshire Council Winter Coats yarn bombing project in October, where some of the town’s most famous monuments were decorated, and focuses on how as a country we should commemorate our influential women.

Karen Mailley- Watt said the idea came about after they noticed countless male statues, but virtually none of women.

She added: “We have so many amazing Scottish female trailblazers, yet we don’t celebrate them as publicly.

“The workshop will not only address this, but discuss the best way to celebrate Scotland’s women, which is not necessarily through erecting statues.” Places are limited to 30. To book, email heritage activity officer Colin Begg at colin. begg@ renfrewshire. gov.uk