''Monumento a la Mujer'' is a

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...

statue commemorating the contributions of the Puerto Rican women to the Puerto Rican society. It is located at the fork of Calle Marina and Calle Mayor Cantera, in

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...

, next to

Parque Urbano Dora Colón Clavell Parque Urbano Dora Colón Clavell (English: ''Dora Colón Clavell Urban Park'') is a passive park in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The park is named after the mother of ex-governor of Puerto Rico and Ponce native, Rafael Hernández Colón. It opened on 9 ...

, in

Barrio Cuarto Cuarto (''Barrio Cuarto'') is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Together with Primero (Ponce), Primero, Segundo (Ponce), Segundo, Tercero (Ponce), Tercero, Quinto (Ponce), Quinto, and Sexto (Ponce), Sexto, Cuarto ...

. It was unveiled in 2002. Its sculptor was Maria Elena Perales. The monument was the first and, at the time, the only one of its kind "in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean."

Background

With the turn of the century, the role of women in Puerto Rican society had advanced dramatically. There were more women graduating from colleges and universities and more women than ever were entering the fields of politics, public health, management, finance, and even clergy work. At the time, the city of Ponce had just undergone significant improvements in its infrastructure thanks to the Plan Ponce en Marcha. The Ponce chapter of the Union of American Women commissioned a statue be built to commemorate the role of women in that advancement. The result was "Monumento a la Mujer."

Description

The statue is high and was forged in

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...

. It consists of a young woman with her right arm stretched up high and holding a small depiction of the globe of the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

on her hand. The statue is supported by a high pedestal in two levels. The top level, high, is built in marble and is supported by a high lower level built in concrete. There is a triangular obelisk that protrudes about from the front of the pedestal that, when viewed from certain angles, gives the impression the statue rests on an obelisk. The monument has various plaques commemorating the history behind the monument. There is also a time capsule (5 August 1992 to 5 August 2092) that is buried at the back base of the monument. The dedicatory plaque on the monument has an inscription that reads (Note: English translation is not part of the inscription, and it is given here to the right): The statue is the work of Puerto Rican sculptor María Elena Perales Guzmán, who is also the sculptor of the busts of

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

Juan Pablo Duarte Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez (January 26, 1813 – July 15, 1876) was a Dominican military leader, writer, activist, and nationalist politician who was the foremost of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic and bears the title of Father of ...

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...

, and

Luis Muñoz Marín José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín (February 18, 1898April 30, 1980) was a Puerto Rican journalist, politician, statesman and was the first elected governor of Puerto Rico, regarded as the "Architect of the Puerto Rico Commonwealth." In 1948 he ...

, at the Plaza de los Proceres Latinoamericanos (Plaza of Latin American statesmen) in Parque del Tricentanario at Bulevar Miguel Pou in Ponce.

Ponce's Union of American Women

The statue was donated by the Ponce chapter of the Union of American Women to the municipality of Ponce. The Union of American Women is a civic organization that advocates for the advancement and participation of women in Puerto Rican society. The project was conceived by the Union's president, Edna J. Torres de Rodriguez (Edna Rodriguez).Plaque at base of the monument. August 2010.

References

External links

''Estructuras y Monumentos en Puerto Rico.''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monumento a la mujer 2002 sculptures Sculptures of women Statues in Ponce, Puerto Rico 2002 establishments in Puerto Rico Buildings and structures in Ponce, Puerto Rico Sculptures of women in Puerto Rico Public art in Puerto Rico Monuments and memorials in Ponce, Puerto Rico

Background

Description

Ponce's Union of American Women

References

Further reading

External links