Ruth Ewan's 'Dagenham Agates' honor Ford sewing machinists who inspired UK Equal Pay Act

Ruth Ewan's public sculpture 'The Dagenham Agates' was unveiled in Dagenham Green, east London, honoring the Ford Dagenham sewing machinists whose 1968 strike led to the UK's 1970 Equal Pay Act. The two boulder-like works, split open to reveal colored bands, use paint colors from cars produced during the strikes, including the Ford Cortina. Commissioned by Peabody and Hill Residential Ltd, the sculptures mark the start of an artist-led heritage trail on the 45-acre former Ford Stamping and Tooling Operations site. One sculpture, 'Dagenham Agate 1968', has 187 layers representing each striking woman, created with community workshops at Barking and Dagenham College. 'Dagenham Agate (1984–85)' has 150 layers for the later strike. UP Projects produced the commission and organized workshops. The PSSA notes this is one of 12 statues by women artists unveiled in the UK in the past year, including Rachel Carter's 'Standing In This Place' in Nottingham and Anne Duk Hee Jordan's 'Snail on me' in Wigan.