Statue of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst to be unveiled

Almost 100 years since women were given the right to vote, a statue of Manchester-born Emmeline Pankhurst, who was the leader of the British suffragette movement, is to be unveiled in the city centre.

A campaign was launched three years ago to erect a statue of a woman with a significance to Manchester.

There was a list of 20 potential candidates, including novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, politician Ellen Wilkinson and Manchester’s first woman city councillor Margaret Ashton. However, the public voted in favour of Emmeline Pankhurst to win, who was born in Moss Side.

Six shortlisted sculptors have created different designs for the statue after meeting with Emmeline Pankhurst’s great-granddaughter Helen last year.

The designs are set to go on display at Manchester Art Gallery on Friday March 10 until the end of the month, giving the public an opportunity to vote for their favourite.

Andrew Simcock, councillor for Didsbury at Manchester City Council as well as a business development manager at Mazars, is the man behind the campaign.

He believes that the statue is incredibly important for the city. He said: “There are currently 17 statues in Manchester, with 16 of them being men.

“The Emmeline Pankhurst statue will be the first statue of a woman in Manchester for over 100 years, so it is incredibly important to the city.”

Helen Pankhurst will also open the Pankhurst Room at Mazar’s offices on Friday March 10 in St Peter’s Square that overlooks where the statue will eventually sit.

Artists Hazel Reeves, Amelia Rowcroft, Roxy and Steve Winterburn, Martin Jennings, Sean Hedges-Quinn and Nick Roberson were given £5,000 to design the statue prototypes.

The winning design will be announced in April and the statue will go on display in St Peter’s Square on International Women’s Day in 2019, three months after the 100-year anniversary of women giving the right to vote.

Emmeline Pankhurst was born in Moss Side in 1858 and held her first meeting at her home in Chorlton-on-Medlock in October 1903. Her home has since been transformed into The Pankhurst Centre museum.

The statue is being erected completely by private fundraising. Fundraising for the statue is ongoing, with the total amount needed for the project being around £300,000. Simcock is welcoming inquiries from both corporate and personal funders.

Check out the statue designs below. You can vote for your favourite at Manchester Art Gallery, or cast your vote here.