Pankhurst statue gets Government backing
MANCHESTER’S first monument to a woman in more than a century has been given support from the Government with a “substantial donation” to- wards a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst.
The statue, sculpted by Hazel Reeves, will stand in St Peter’s Square and will show Pankhurst making a speech while standing on a chair.
Pankhurst was born Emmeline Goulden in Manchester in 1858 and went on to found the Women’s Social and Political Union, which campaigned for women to get the vote.
Councillor Andrew Simcock said the Government had pledged £370,000 to projects in the city to mark 100 years of votes for women, of which a “very significant and substantial donation” will go towards the statue. Pankhurst was chosen as the subject of the new monument after a public poll.
Currently, 16 of 17 the civic monuments in Manchester are of men, with the only woman being Queen Victoria.
There are also plans for a statue of Pankhurst in London, at Canning Green in Westminster. There is already a monument to the famous suffragette in nearby Victoria Tower Gardens.
Until now, the Manchester statue had been privately funded. Cllr Simcock said: “Our next step will be a crowdfunding campaign to raise more money for the educational and future engagement aspects of the project.
“Subject to planning permission, the statue should be unveiled on Dec 14 2018 – the 100th anniversary of some women voting for the first time in a UK General Election.”
Helen Pankhurst, the great-granddaughter of the suffragette leader, said: “Emmeline is a globally iconic figure much beloved in her home town of Manchester.
“She will stand guard as an enduring reminder of the struggle for the vote, beckoning us to keep going forward as we continue the journey towards gender equality.”