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The Ministry of Culture in Denmark has announced plans to address the country’s lack of female statues. They discovered that the capital city, Copenhagen, has more statues of mythical creatures than of real women.
The Danish government reports that a small fraction, less than 10 percent, of statues in public areas depict women. This amounts to only 31 out of 321 statues and busts found in cities in Denmark.
The Danish minister of culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, has committed 50 million Danish kroner (£5.7m) to addressing the gender disparity and increasing the presence of Danish women in public art.
Engel-Schmidt remarked that the numbers are self-explanatory.
Out of 101 statues in Copenhagen, only five are currently dedicated to women. Meanwhile, 26 are in honor of animals and 70 celebrate men.
According to Engel-Schmidt, there are a greater number of fairy animal statues than statues of women in Copenhagen, which is incredibly unfair.
Is it appropriate for the next generation to be raised in a mirrored society? Especially considering the significant contributions made by women to society.
The Ministry of Culture and a recently formed panel of specialists plan to create a map of women who have not been recognized in the public sphere. This will serve as inspiration for forthcoming initiatives aimed at addressing the historical inequality in urban areas.
Can we expect future generations to live in cities where there are more statues of fictional creatures and horses than of women?
“Thus, I am seeking assistance from a group of specialists to identify the specific women who should be recognized in the field. Any suggestions or contributions would be greatly appreciated – who do we need to include and why?”
In the past few years, statues have been erected in the nation in honor of the late actress Betty Nansen and writer Lise Nørgaard, both of whom passed away in 2023.
The new committee has been proposed by the culture minister to commemorate esteemed individuals such as pastry chef Karen Volf, Nielsine Nielsen, who was Denmark’s first female physician, and Bodil Begtrup, the country’s inaugural female ambassador.
Source: independent.co.uk
