According to an announcement from the U.S. Treasury Department, a new banknote will feature the image of a woman.
On Wednesday night it was revealed that officials will put an image of a woman on the new $10 bill which will be introduced in 2020, writes Susie Poppick for Time. Although the move has been hailed as a major step in the movement for equality, the U.S. is hardly a leader when it comes to featuring females on its bank notes.
Who do you think should grace the new $10 bill?
The Treasury Department has not confirmed who will have the honor of being featured on the new note, but it did say that the chosen woman will have played an important role in the history of the country, and used their life to further democracy.
Those of you with suggestions as to who should be featured will be able to make your case on a new website which the government says will launch soon, as well as on Twitter using the hashtag #TheNew10.
“We’re going to spend a lot of time this summer listening to people,” said Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.
U.S. late to feature women on its bills
Those countries which already feature women on their banknotes may surprise you. Syria’s 500 pound note features Queen Zenobia, famous for resisting Roman colonizers, while two of the Philippines’ bills feature women.
The 500 peso note shows Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the country, while the 1000 peso note features an image of early 20th-century suffragette Josefa Llanes Escoda.
Turkey’s 50 lira bill has a picture of women’s rights activist Fatma Aliye Topuz, and Mexico’s 500 peso and 200 peso bills feature artist Frida Kahlo and writer Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz respectively.
Argentina has an image of former First Lady Eva Peron, better known as Evita, on its 100 peso bills, as well as 19th century political activist on the 20 peso note.
As well as Queen Elizabeth II, New Zealand also honored suffragette Kate Sheppard with her inclusion on the 10 dollar bill. Australia goes one better, with a woman featured on every banknote in circulation.
However if there were a competition to see whose banknotes did the best job of honoring women, the Bank of England would win given the fact that every note since 1960 has featured Queen Elizabeth II, as well as a selection of other women.
The other countries on the list are Israel and Sweden.
