Statue of Alice Hawkins

The Statue of Alice Hawkins is a bronze monument in Green Dragon Square, Leicester, showing the suffragette in a speaking pose with her arm raised. It sits on a plinth in the heart of the city center and draws school groups and visitors interested in learning about women's rights history.

The statue honors Alice Hawkins, a shoe machinist who was arrested five times in the early 1900s for protesting in support of women's voting rights. Her actions were part of the broader suffrage movement that eventually led to changes in voting laws.

This monument marks the first public statue honoring a named woman in Leicester County, recognizing women's place in local history through public art. People who visit often pause to reflect on the ongoing journey toward equality and women's contributions to social change.

The monument is located in central Leicester and is easy to reach on foot, especially if you are already visiting the Market Square area. It is freely accessible around the clock and often frequented by school groups, so you may encounter guided tours or educational visits.

The funding came from a local businessman and trade unions working together, showing how labor organizations supported commemoration of this activist's legacy. This partnership between private and union backing is itself unusual in public monuments.