Changing Who We Honour: Research Driving Gender Equity in Australia’s Public Monuments

What began as a research-based community campaign has  since reshaped government policy, public space and national  conversations about whose actions and achievements are publicly commemorated.

Professor Clare Wright’s commemorative justice project exposed the stark disparity in the representation of women in  civic memorials. In response, she co-founded A Monument of One’s Own (AMOO) with journalist Kristine Ziwika, advocating for systemic reform in commemorative practices.

AMOO’s research and campaigning have inspired and influenced  multiple grass-roots and government initiatives. By June 2025, 57 per cent of new commemorative place names in Victoria honoured women, moving the state closer to its 70 per cent target under Our Equal State: Victoria’s Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan. This shift reflects a structural change in how public recognition is allocated.

The impact is also visible in the built environment; in 2023, following seven years of Professor Wright’s advocacy, a statue of Jewish Australian women’s rights campaigner Zelda D’Aprano (pictured) was built as part of AMOO’s campaign, in partnership with Trades Hall Council and support from philanthropy and unions.

By 2025, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra had committed to commissioning more statues of women, with several unveiled or approved following direct advocacy. The Victorian Women’s Public Art Program, now in its fifth year, has so far commissioned 18 artworks recognising women’s contributions. This program was influenced by Professor Wright’s research.

As Professor Wright noted, “The importance of evidence based research in presenting the stark reality of gender bias in civic commemoration practices cannot be underestimated. Who you choose to put on a pedestal matters.”