Ashworth said: “Women were often the backbone of the ceramics industry – decorating and finishing some of the world’s most iconic pottery, often without the recognition or pay that men received.
“For every Clarice Cliff or Susie Cooper, there were hundreds of women whose names we don’t recognise but whose skill and labour made this city what it is.”
At the start of the 20th Century, women made up nearly half of the workforce in the local pottery industry, according to the local authority.
Women’s roles were often overlooked, underpaid and undervalued – with men taking on the most skilled and lucrative positions.
The relocation and the new ceramics statue, first announced in July 2025, would be funded by Goodwin at no cost to the public, the council said.
No details about the statue that is set to replace the Steel Man have yet been announced.