In the middle of Central Park, not too far from the zoo, is a statue of Balto the heroic husky. I used to pass it on my way to and from the penguin exhibit. Balto famously helped deliver vital medication in Alaska in February of 1925, and by December of 1925, a statue was unveiled in his honor.

It would take almost 95 years before the first statue of a real, named woman was unveiled in the same park.

Around the world, cities and parks are dotted with statues, the vast majority of which commemorate men. Worse, of those which depict women, most are fictional or representative of ideals like justice or liberty.

It’s probably why, when your brain looks for an example of a female statue, there’s one outsize example standing in New York Harbor.

But while Liberty is an admirable concept, she’s not a real woman.

In the UK, less than 3% of all public statues are non-royal women. A 2021 study in London showed that London had more statues of animals than named, historical women. In the age old Feminist game of “More Johns”, as of 2016, there were more statues of men named John in the UK than there were non-royal, actual named women.

Women make up half the population, but if you’re wandering around any city, square, plaza, or park, you’d be forgiven for thinking we don’t exist at all.

Which is exactly why the lack of female representation in statuary is a problem.

Statues are commissioned and erected to commemorate someone, to entice us to remember. Champions and notable figures, artists and composers and hometown heroes; women and men who have achieved great things. But when you look around, you’d be forgiven for thinking that women haven’t achieved anything worthy at all.

Anywhere. Ever.

It’s easy to think that women have never written, painted, discovered, or invented anything at all. It’s easy to think that women have never led, fought, sacrificed, or ruled at all. It’s easy to think there have been no female heroes, thinkers, innovators, philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, composers, journalists, historians, activists, or mathematicians from the beginning of time until right now.

Where are all the women?

When you don’t see yourself represented in those ideals, it sends a message: You don’t matter.

Women have achieved great things throughout history, straight through to now. Clothed even. We deserve to be memorialized and commemorated for those things. Clothed.

Next time you’re out, pay attention to how many statues of real women you see. And if you do see one in the wild, pay attention to the wear patterns around her breasts, especially if the statute is nude.

Yup. Even when we have nice things we can’t have nice things.

Women from history deserve better, but so do we. So do our kids. They–girls and boys–deserve to see depictions of actual women on an actual pedestal, not just a made up one.

Happy Women's History Month!

***

The statue is the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument unveiled in Central Park in 2020.