How the Virginia Women's Monument ensures women's voices are heard

RICHMOND, Va. -- As part of Women's History Month coverage, GeNienne Samuels toured Voices From The Garden The Story of Virginia Women's Monument with Clerk of the Virginia Senate Susan Clarke Schaar. She explained what made the Virginia Women's Monument so unique.

GeNienne Samuels
We are in the center of Voices from the Garden. Why was this so important to complete? And why is it so important not just for Richmond, but for all of Virginia?

Susan Clarke Schaar
Well, actually, it's not even just Virginia. It's the whole country.

This is the only monument of this size on the grounds of a state capitol honoring women.

Not just for people we've all heard of like Martha Washington, but the unsung heroes, people who did something for their region, or the state, or their community.

GeNienne Samuels

My mom taught at Maggie Walker. So cool to see this one for sure.

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Susan Clarke Schaar

The detail on this one is amazing with her furs and the fabric on her coat. An interesting thing about these two, they knew each other.

This is Sarah Jones. Her father built Maggie Walker's house.

She was the first African American to get a medical license in Virginia. And Maggie Walker, as we all know, was the first woman bank president.

GeNienne Samuels
Could you talk a little bit about the wall of honor and why this was added to the monument?

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Susan Clarke Schaar
We were talking about the fact that we could only do a few actual statutes. And what was a way to recognize other women who had made major contributions?

This will hold 400 names. It's at 240 now.

You had to be deceased five years.

You had to do something major for your area, your region, Virginia, the United States for recognition.

There's a group now, we winnowed down the commission to eight people, and they will meet periodically to decide how many names to add who the names are.

If you go out into the Women's Commission website, there's a form you can submit a nominee.

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