CAMPAIGNERS want more recognition for Brighton and Hove women who helped to shape their city’s history.

Organisers of the city’s inaugural Women’s History Festival would like to see more great women recognised in statues and blue plaques around the city.

At present, less than a quarter of the city’s blue plaques mark the lives of notable women, while campaigners say the only statue of a historical female figure is Queen Victoria, who stands in Grand Avenue.

Organisers of the blue plaque scheme would like more women recognised but the major issue was who pays the minimum £1,500 costs.

Ali Ghanimi, of Free University Brighton, and blogger and history guide Louise Peskett hope to raise public awareness of women forgotten by history.

Ms Ghanimi said: “Telling stories about women’s achievements is a very powerful way to improve girls’ confidence and sense of place in the world. It counters harmful stereotypes and helps boys develop more respect for girls and women, which benefits all of us”.

Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, is one woman honoured with a blue plaque. However, campaigners want more people to know about women such as Rachel Sassoon Beer, the country’s first female editor of a national newspaper, and Britain’s first black magistrate Pauline Crabbe, who was also an actor and academic.

At present, only 21 of the city’s 93 blue plaques mark women.

The city’s first Women’s History Festival will be held next spring as Ms Ghanimi builds on the Free University Brighton course called Women – The Greatest Story Never Told.

She met with Brighton Royal Pavilion and Museums guide Louise Peskett, who writes a blog entitled History Women Brighton and who launched the Notorious Women of Kemp Town walk this year.

The walk shines a light on Barbara Hulanicki, fashion designer, and Margaret Damer Dawson, a pioneer of Britain’s first female police service.

Ms Peskett said: “The more I researched, the more outrageous, adventurous and inspiring women I found, from a cross-dressing soldier to the first black woman to appear on British TV.”

Averil Older, who chairs the city’s blue plaques panel, said: “I would like to see more blue plaques for women but it’s all about finding ways to pay for plaques.”