Campaign seeks to change fact that Edinburgh has more statues of animals than women A campaign to erect a statue of one of Edinburgh’s famous women has received the backing of Nicola Sturgeon and […]

A campaign to erect a statue of one of Edinburgh’s famous women has received the backing of Nicola Sturgeon and other political leaders, after it emerged that there are currently more monuments to animals in the Scottish capital.

The campaign, launched this week by i‘s sister paper the Edinburgh Evening News, has already gained the support of the Scottish First Minister as well as the leaders of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives.

“I’m a great fan of animals but are we really saying they should be more recognised than the brilliant women of our fair city?” The i newsletter latest news and analysis Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Kezia Dugdale

There are currently only two statues of named women in Edinburgh: the famous monument to Queen Victoria at the foot of Leith Walk and another paying homage to community campaigner Helen Crummy in Craigmillar.

The modest tally means statues of women are outnumbered by those of animals in the Scottish capital. The most famous is that of Greyfriars Bobby, the Skye terrier that refused to leave his master’s graveside.

There are also statues to “Bum”, a vagabond dog who died in 1898 in San Diego, a city twinned with the Scottish capital, and the beer-drinking Polish bear Wojtek, who was involved in the Second World War and died in Edinburgh Zoo.

The campaign is inviting Scots to nominate famous Edinburgh women that they would like to see recognised, with the aim of launching a crowd-funded drive to raise money for a statue.

One contender is Dr Elsie Inglis, the doctor who served on the battlefields of Europe during the First World War and founded the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. Another is Marie Stopes, who founded the first birth control clinic in Britain.

More modern contenders include the authors Muriel Spark and JK Rowling, as well as Dame Katherine Grainger, Great Britain’s most decorated female Olympian.

“It’s absolutely right that Edinburgh’s famous daughters should be recognised in the same way as its famous sons,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“The capital has produced women who have achieved remarkable things in fields, including science, sport, literature and the arts.

“A quote I am very fond of is ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’. A statue of one of Edinburgh’s remarkable women would do a great deal to inspire young women living in and visiting the city Edinburgh and reinforce to them that they are only limited by their own ambitions.”

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has also leant her support. “Edinburgh has been home to many remarkable and outstanding women. It is baffling why so few have been recognised by public statues – especially when you consider how many men are immortalised across the city,” she said.

Her Labour counterpart Kezia Dugdale added: “I’m a great fan of animals but are we really saying they should be more recognised than the brilliant women of our fair city?

“All of us benefit from being reminded of just how hard women have had to fight in previous generations and how much they achieved despite the obstacles. It’s time to stop airbrushing women out of history.”

Nominations for a female memorial can be sent to Fiona Pringle at fiona.pringle@jpress.co.uk