Emma Watson has joined a number of high-profile women who have signed a letter to the new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, asking for a statue of a suffagrette to be erected in Parliament Square by February 2018.

The letter, which was also signed by J.K. Rowling, Caitlin Moran and Konnie Huq, congratulates Sadiq Khan on his new position, before going on to remind him of his manifesto promise to be a 'proud feminist in City Hall' who will 'fight to break down the barriers to success for women.'

The letter goes on to highlight the underrepresentation of women in culture, noting that 'in Parliament Square, outside the home of one of the world's oldest democracies, stand eleven statues. Not a single one of these statues is of a woman.' 

'In February 2018, it will be 100 years since we won the argument that a woman's sex does not render her incapable of participating in democracy. It is a travesty that not a single woman is remembered in the square immediately opposite the Houses of Parliament, the building where, in the face of such brutality, suffragists long campaigned and suffragettes fought so hard for such a basic right.'

'We hope you will want to put this right. We would welcome a meeting with you to discuss how we can ensure a statue of a suffragette is erected in Parliament Square by February 2018 and how this can be used to inspire men and women across our country in the fight for equality.'

The petition was started by activist Caroline Criado-Perez, who noted the shocking reality whilst on a run through central London. 

Perez, who was also successful in getting Jane Austen on the £10 note, said: 'The women who fought for our rights - the suffragettes - deserve to be commemorated in front of the building they were locked out of for centuries.'

'So - along with a powerful group of women, I'm asking the new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to give them a statue in Parliament Square by 2018.'

You can join the petition here. 

(Images: Getty)