Central Park Unveils New Statue Paying Tribute to Women’s Rights Pioneers
As of today (Aug. 26), New York City’s Central Park has a new sculpture, the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument, designed by artist Meredith Bergmann.
The statue, which is 14-feet tall, is the park’s first to showcase real-life women, including women suffragists Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
The statue is being implemented the same month that the United States celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
The Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument is a long time in the making. Non-profit organization Monumental Women has pushed for a Central Park to showcase a statue honoring women for years, and president Pam Elam told NBC New York the group is pleased to finally see it come to pass.
“The first statue of real women in the 167-year history of Central Park is here. We’re honored to be the group that breaks the bronze ceiling,” Elam said. “They worked together and supported each other in many ways. It’s only fitting that they share the same pedestal.”
There’s still a long way to go, though. Currently, less than 10% of the outdoor sculptures across the United States are of women, according to the Smithsonian Collections Search Center.
