Nearly one month on from the unveiling of the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in Manchester city centre, I have been reflecting on the significance of the statue and the value it will hold for future generations.

On the day of the unveiling, it was great to see so many people of all ages marching through the streets wearing the suffragette colours of green, white and purple. Among the crowds were around 1,000 schoolchildren, who arrived at St Peter’s Square chanting ‘deeds not words!’ – the motto of the suffragette movement in Britain.

After the unveiling ceremony was over and many of the crowd were making their way home, groups of schoolchildren and young people could still be seen gathering around and taking photos of the statue. As the first statue of a woman in Manchester for 117 years, Emmeline now has the opportunity to inspire future generations and stands proudly as a symbol of Manchester’s suffragette movement.

Underlying this message is the importance of remembering that, 100 years on from some women being given the right to vote, there is still a long way to go in the fight for gender equality.