Statue of Votes for Women campaigner given higher protection status by culture department
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E-mail Xinhua, January 1, 2019
LONDON, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- A statue in London of one of the campaigners who championed votes for women was Monday given the a higher level of cultural protection.
The statue of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in Victoria Tower Gardens is being upgraded to Grade II* listing by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The accolade, one of the highest in Britain for important and historic structures, was announced on the final day of the year marking the centenary of women in Britain first winning the right to vote.
DCMS said the statue overlooking the House of Parliament is also being upgraded to commemorate the election of the first female Member of Parliament (MP).
The additional protection reflects the statute's architectural and historical significance and the roles that Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel played in campaigning for votes for women through the Women's Social and Politics Union (WSPU), said DCMS.
A 1918 act of parliament gave women aged 30 and over the age of 30 the right to vote. The following year, 1919, Lady Astor became the first woman lawmaker to take a seat in the British Parliament. It comes after proposed plans to relocate the statue were withdrawn earlier this year.
Heritage minister Michael Ellis said: "Emmeline Pankhurst was a pioneer of her time and was instrumental in securing votes for women. It is a fitting tribute that at the end of this centenary year we recognise the important role she played in securing the equality we rightly enjoy today."
Deborah Mays from Historic England, said: "The statue is a tribute to Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst who were instrumental in bringing about women's suffrage in Britain. It is a finely crafted memorial in a significant location which bears witness to the struggle and success of the movement Pankhurst led. It is fitting to give it a higher grade listing at the end of this centenary year."
In the 2017 British general election 208 women MPs were elected, a record high. But it still only meant women MPs made up 32 percent of politicians in the House of Commons. Enditem
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