Female Public Sculptures: Visibly Invisible

Monuments and public sculptures embody collective memory, values, and identity. This study analyses the representation of women in public sculptures in Ibarra, Ecuador, and evaluates citizens’ recognition of the historical figures depicted. A mixed-method, cross-sectional design was employed. An urban inventory was conducted (N = 124 sculptures), and questionnaires were administered in situ to 1200 adult residents using non-probability intercept sampling (100 surveys at each of the 12 female monuments). The results reveal a marked disparity: 55.6% of the sculptures represent men, compared with only 9.7% representing women. Recognition is minimal: 98.6% of respondents did not identify the person represented, and 95.1% reported no knowledge of her history. These findings suggest that the underrepresentation of women in public art reflects enduring structural and cultural gender inequalities. The limited presence of female monuments contributes to the erasure of women’s legacy from collective memory and perpetuates the perception of public space as historically male-dominated. Framed within the literature on gender and monuments as devices of social memory, the study advocates for inclusive commemorative policies and interpretive strategies. Limitations include the non-random sampling and single-city scope; future research should expand comparisons across cities and assess potential interventions.