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Women of Steel

Women of Steel is a bronze sculpture by Martin Jennings that commemorates the women of Sheffield who worked in the city’s steel industry during the First World War and Second World War. It was unveiled in June 2016 and commissioned by Sheffield City Council. The project cost £150,000, with £102,000 paid for the sculpture itself. The unveiling was attended by 100 women who had worked in the steelworks. The sculpture received the Keith Hayman Award in the Sheffield Design Awards 2016 and the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association’s 2017 Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture.

Women of Steel bronze sculpture of two women standing arm in arm in work clothes.
Women of Steel, a bronze sculpture of two women in industrial work attire, stands on Barker\'s Pool in Sheffield.
March 2017 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Women of Steel sculpture showing two female figures standing arm in arm on a paved walkway.
Women of Steel, a sculpture of two women standing together arm in arm, displayed on a paved walkway.
August 2020 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Women of Steel sculpture in Sheffield, showing two metal figures in work clothes on a dark base outdoors.
Women of Steel, Sheffield, shown as two metal figures standing on a dark base outdoors.
June 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Women of Steel sculpture stands outdoors on a paved area near a stone building, with street signs and a person in the background.
The Women of Steel sculpture pictured beside Holly Street and Barker\'s Pool.
October 2018 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Close-up of two figures from the Women of Steel sculpture, one wearing a cap with goggles on the brim.
Detail of the Women of Steel sculpture in Sheffield, showing two of the metal figures in close-up.
March 2017 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleWomen of Steel
TypeCommemorative bronze sculpture / monument / statue
French titleFemmes d'acier

Historical context

SubjectWomen of Sheffield who worked in the city's steel industry
Associated industriesMetallurgy and the armaments industry
Historical contextFirst and Second World Wars

Creator

ArtistMartin Jennings
Artist nationalityBritish

History and restoration

Medals produced from surplus funds500
AwardsKeith Hayman Award at the Sheffield Design Awards 2016; Public Monuments and Sculpture Association's 2017 Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture
Unveiling contextUnveiled in the presence of 100 former employees of the steel industry
Unveiling attendance100 women who worked in the steelworks
Medallions made bySheffield Assay Office
Medals awarded posthumously400 medals given to the families of 400 other Sheffield women steelworkers
Medals awarded to living recipients100 medals given to the 100 women still alive who attended the unveiling
Amount paid for the sculpture£102,000
Amount raised in excess of the target£10,000
Fundraising amount raisedMore than £160,000
Project cost£150,000
Commission year2010
Commissioned bySheffield City Council
UnveiledJune 2016
Year of creation2016

Location and ownership

LocationIn front of Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield, England

Materials

MaterialBronze

Iconography and meaning

PurposeHomage to the women of Sheffield who worked in metallurgy and the armaments industry during the First and Second World Wars