Women of Steel

Women of Steel, depicts two women, dressed in steel factory boiler suits, one a welder and the other a riveter, standing arm in arm. It is dedicated to the women who worked in the steelworks of Sheffield during the First and Second World Wars. The sculpture was commissioned by Sheffield City Council  because they felt it important to commemorate the women who had been conscripted to work in the factories and steel mills, and who had taken on roles which were physically demanding and often dangerous. A public subscription was raised which covered a significant part of the cost of the sculpture.

Martin Jennings has said that linking the women’s arms made the statue a symbol of solidarity and it has become the perfect vehicle through which to recognise those women who served diligently in the wars and have waited a lifetime to receive the recognition that they deserve. He has created bronze reductions of this sculpture measuring 15cm and 32cm in height.

The unveiling of the statue in 2016 was attended by 100 women who worked in the steelworks.

Women of Steel won the PMSA Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture in 2017.

Location: Barker's Pool, Central Sheffield, Yorkshire