I read with interest your editorial (The Guardian view on blue plaques: time to redress the balance, 6 October). Here in Wales we have been making an effort to redress the balance, with a campaign for purple plaques to mark the achievements of remarkable women in Wales.
The campaign was launched by a cross-party group of members of the Senedd, the Welsh parliament, in 2017 to commemorate our former colleague and friend, assembly member Val Feld, and is now run by a small group of volunteers. The first purple plaque was erected in 2018 and, after a hiatus during the pandemic, there are now eight purple plaques around Wales celebrating the achievements of women from all walks of life who have made contributions locally, nationally and internationally.
Among those whose achievements we have celebrated are a women’s suffragist, an organic farming pioneer, a peace campaigner and an activist from the Chinese community in Cardiff. We also celebrated the American journalist Martha Gellhorn’s little-known connection with Wales, including her coverage of the miners’ strike and the place in Monmouthshire that she called home for 14 years.
We invite nominations for more women who your readers think are currently unsung heroes of history across Wales, and we are very much about redressing the balance by telling future generations about women’s achievements in years past. Nominations can be made via the website www.purpleplaques.wales.
Julie Morgan
Senedd member for Cardiff North
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