What do we want?
We need monuments to the First Nations women who defended their land, their families and their sovereignty against invasion and dispossession.
To the colonial women who not only won monumental democratic rights for our citizens, but also fought for these liberties on the world stage — in the heat of other nations’ battles — because they were aware of their profile and potency as leaders in a global movement for justice.
To the immigrant women who made this land their home, and in so doing reshaped the civic, social, economic and political face of modern Australia.
To the trans women, disabled women and women of colour who have fought prejudice and won new rights for their communities.
To the outspoken, defiant, resourceful women who have broken barriers and challenged orthodoxies to make our communities stronger, safer and fairer places to live and work.
To the women who are still fighting to expand the definition of what it means to belong, to count, and to have a voice in our democracy today.
We need monuments to women’s courage, vision, tenacity, obstinacy and resolve — qualities that have, without doubt, benefited our our nation.
We want our cities and our towns and our suburbs and our federal capital to build new statues to new heroes, those who have been previously discounted from our nation’s story and those who can provide role models, inspiration and understanding for generations to come.
We want those statues to represent historical women who did real things, not nymphs and angels and allegorical versions of ‘womanhood’.
A Monument of One’s Own is a national clarion call for gender equality in the memorialisation of women’s actions, achievements and contributions to civic culture.
What do we want?
We want MONUMENTAL CHANGE!