Millicent Fawcett will be the first ever statue of a woman in Parliament Square

Equality will come to Parliament Square as the first ever statue of a woman to be displayed at the heart of the UK’s political power has been announced.

Dame Millicent Fawcett, one of many women who led the fight for women to have the vote, will be honoured after a high-profile campaign supported by Harry Potter author JK Rowling and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

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Prime Minister Theresa May said: “The example Millicent Fawcett set during the struggle for equality continues to inspire the battle against the burning injustices of today.”

“It is right and proper that she is honoured in Parliament Square alongside former leaders who changed our country. Her statue will stand as a reminder of how politics only has value if it works for everyone in society.”

Fawcett worked with the Suffragette movement to help women gain the vote, but did not use the militant tactics the group was known for, instead pursuing the goal through Parliament by lobbying and petitioning MPs. She died in 1929, a year after women won the right to vote.

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The statue will join 11 others, all men, in the square.

The campaign to get Fawcett a statue was started by activist Caroline Criado-Perez, who also successfully campaigned to get Jane Austen on bank notes, winning support from the likes of actresses Emma Watson and Naomi Harris.