Monuments across Wales and the UK have been dressed up as part of a new campaign against the “erosion of women’s rights”.

The early morning rush hour crowd were surprised this morning as they came face-to-face with female statues dressed in black t-shirts or draped in banners emblazoned with “woman. Noun. Adult human female.”

In the past 24 hours, South East Wales Resisters, known as SeWReSisters, alongside ReSisters United, have carried out a campaign across the UK using the hashtag #WomenStandUp. Statues of women all over the country are now dressed in similar attire.

The sculptures in the heart of Newport commemorate the Chartist rebellion.

SeWReSisters claim: “It is fitting that SeWReSisters honour this working-class movement which fought for the rights of the common people.”

ReSisters United, has co-ordinated this campaign across England, Wales and Scotland, to kick off a global week of feminist action called to protest what it claims is “the censoring of women on Facebook and Twitter and the gradual erosion of women’s rights”.

A spokeswoman for ReSisters United commented: “In today’s climate of hyper political correctness, the factual definition of woman has become taboo.

“The dignity, privacy and safety of women is at risk.

“With this action we send the message that women have the right to speak about our biology without shame, fear or retribution”.

“We'd say that we are not positioning ourselves against trans issues, we are standing up for the rights of women and girls.

“We're not anti-trans, we are pro-women.”

ReSisters United proclaim that they are “committed to speaking out to protect the right to sex-segregated spaces, without the presence of men”.

In response to the campaign, a spokesperson for LGBTIQ+ group Rainbow Newport said: “The act carried out in our city centre today should not happen and just highlights the hate being spread about our trans community.

“We stand with our trans family, we stand with love.”