A series of statues across Scotland have been adorned with #GenerationEqual sashes in a show of solidarity towards gender equality, ahead of International Women’s Day.
Working in partnership with local authorities, councillors and site owners throughout Scotland, the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) staged the initiative to highlight the scarcity of statues celebrating women in history despite their significant accomplishments.
The group embellished statues and sculptures in nine cities, towns, villages and burghs across Scotland, championing equality for all with the #GenerationEqual slogan.
The include the statue of Elizabeth Grant at Glenfiddich Visitor Centre in Dufftown and the Land Girls sculpture in Fochabers, the Herring Girls work at Stornoway and the
‘Fisher Jessie’ depiction in Peterhead Town Centre.
They did likewise with the ‘Fisher Jessie’ statue in Aberdeenshire, celebrating the lives of women in the fishing community, and the Land Girls sculpture in Moray honouring the work of the Women’s Land Army – which will remain in place this weekend.
NACWG co-chairwoman Louise Macdonald OBE, said: “For generations, our history has been written by one gender. There has been one perspective, one vision, one half of the population. Half of our history is missing.
“We want to highlight this huge inequality by showcasing some of the statues that do exist and call for better recognition of the women who have made a lasting impact through their bravery, intelligence and actions.
“Women are not niche; we are half the world and 52% of the population in Scotland.”
Coinciding with Women’s History Month, which highlights the contributions many different figures have made to events in the past and contemporary society, the NACWG is calling on the public to nominate modern women who deserve to be recognised with a statue of their own.
Ms Macdonald added: “We want to encourage conversation around societal change, challenge this under-representation and make women’s contributions to society more visible in politics, in sport, on boards, and even in the street.
“With so many inspiring accomplishments all too often overlooked, it is time we paid homage to these amazing women making a difference in today’s society.
“We hope that this activity inspires people of all age, race, gender, religion and belief to join the conversation.”
The NACWG 2019 report and recommendations can be found at:
https://onescotland.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NACWG-2019-Report-and-Recommendations.pdf
