Saints, queens, virgins, allegorical representations, and fictional figures- these are the statues that tend to honor women in cities. Central Park in New York has Alice in Wonderland. My hometown has numerous sculptures representing maternity. My city of residence also features a monumental, bronze sand-cast 19th-century statue of a female personification of the Bavarian homeland.
But we can’t only blame city planners and administrations for this overdue lack of recognition of real women in public space. Women’s achievements have been historically underrepresented, and their stories have rarely been told. Those statues of women in cities speak for themselves.
To the simple question, ‘Do you notice a single statue of women in the park?’ asked by two teenage girls from New York to visitors in Central Park, people reacted in two ways. ‘Oh, get over it’ or ‘What, really?’ ‘It didn’t occur to people that this was even happening,’ explains Brenda Berkman, one of the directors of the nonprofit Monumental Women organization, maybe because people don’t even think of women in historical terms.
And yet Monumental Women has achieved the unthinkable. Thanks to their persistent advocacy work, visitors to Central Park can admire and learn about Women’s Rights Pioneers Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony.
On Women’s Equality Day, August 26th, and on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and women winning the right to vote, Monumental Women successfully planned to unveil this first statue of these three real women after 6 years of work. But this journey has not been a walk in the park. After tremendous resistance, tedious bureaucracy, lots of nos, and ninety sculpture designs later, edited down to five, the final sculpture by artist Meredith Bergmann was picked. Then several authorities started a long approval process, which led to numerous changes to the original sculpture’s design. It was the consequence of a controversy over the women’s depiction, a debate gaining traction as American cities started to come to terms with their colonialist and racist legacies of monuments in public spaces.
Monumental Women persisted in their efforts, redesigned the monument, and chose three contemporary women pioneers who fought for human rights and women’s suffrage and represent the three elements of activism: speaking, organizing, and writing.
Finally, the monument was approved for placement in Central Park, an essential location in the city, with 40 million people visiting the park every year. Moreover, Manhattan’s iconic Park certainly sends a strong message to other cities worldwide.
Until recently, New York City had fewer than 3% of its public statues depicting women, according to Statues for Equality, a movement by public artists and activists Gillie and Marc to balance gender and racial representation in public statues. This statistic on women statues in cities is seen all across the Western world, with Sydney and London following suit with 4% and 3%, respectively.
Tapping the full potential of women’s history
Monumental Women’s mission doesn’t stop with this monument. They want to bring the great achievements of many women in history into public consciousness, especially to inspire young female citizens by educating them about untapped female history through an inclusive education campaign in partnership with museums and libraries. All while challenging U.S. municipalities to recognize and honor the contributions of women of all colors with tributes in public spaces. The symbolic placement of women sculptures in cities is just the first step toward lasting, effective change in society.
The Talking Statues app lets monument visitors listen to monologues by Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in English and Spanish, performed by award-winning actors, educating the public about their lives. The app also includes an interview with the sculptor Meredith Bergmann.
“People need role models in science, politics, sports, and every other area,” Berkman explains. “I loved to read as a child, but when I started reading history books, it was very discouraging to realize that women were almost invisible.”
A passionate history and art reader, Berkman holds a Juris Doctor degree and a Master’s Degree in History. She is an activist, artist, and a pioneering female firefighter in FDNY history. She has written history herself. Brenda began her career in the fire service after winning the federal sex-discrimination lawsuit she filed, which led to the hiring of her and 40 other women as New York City’s first women firefighters in 1982.
Yet the number of female firefighters remains very low. The national average is about 3.5 percent.
‘When we have more women in firefighters and police departments, companies and any other kind of organizations, then women’s voices have to be heard. For instance, it is not about one female CEO in a company, but about encouraging full participation of women of any color and, most importantly, supporting them so their voices are heard and they feel comfortable being themselves. Everyone benefits from that too because diversity enriches an organization.
‘In the case of firefighters, they say we are not changing anything just because women are now part of the department. But that is exactly the wrong approach. Of course, you have to change showers, medical attention, etc.’, claims Berkman.
‘I hope people recognize that we have a serious gender discrimination issue embedded in our society as well as structural racism. Women of any color still face many obstacles and experience trauma for the way they are treated because of their gender, being unable to achieve their full potential,’ points out Berkman.
Women support women: Put her on a pedestal
Monumental Women is a predominantly women’s organization dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements in history, a spirit that has recently resonated with women to support one another. ‘We owe it to younger generations so that they build up self-esteem to accomplish their dreams’, explains Berkman.
But we also owe it to our female ancestors throughout history and to empowered women today, who started the fight for equal opportunity many years ago, like Berkman in firefighter departments and other women in communities, neighborhoods, and cities.
‘We have to build on past achievements, despite the mistakes and missteps in those women’s lives,’ says Marta Más, founder of Comissió de Memòria i Gènere de Barcelona, one of the first organizations advocating for the recovery of women’s collective memory in Barcelona.
Feminism is on the rise in cities, and Studies on Gender Equality are booming at universities. But we can’t forget that this is all thanks to millions of women fighting for our rights from the base before us. Millions of stories never told. Younger women can follow in their footsteps, build upon their achievements, and expand on causes, like making gender equality inclusive. Toni Morrison once wrote: ‘Women’s rights is not only an abstraction, a cause; it is also a personal affair. It is not only about “us”; it is also about you and me. Just the two of us.’
The Covid-19 pandemic is an unbelievably challenging time for women. We need empowerment inspiration, and real women statues in cities are overdue recognition that can shift the narrative, as girls who walk by will see themselves represented. As Monumental Women President Pam Elam said: “We are here to move history forward and not even a pandemic will stop us.” This challenging ceremony during the pandemic will hopefully also be remembered in history books.
Billie Jean King, an American former world No. 1 professional tennis player and social activist, inspires Berkman. In Billie Jean King’s words, “YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BE IT.” This is what Monumental Women is all about.
