Sculpture unveiled to celebrate the forgotten women of Sunderland's shipyards

A sculpture honouring the women who kept Wearside's shipyards running during World War II has been unveiled in Sunderland.

'Molly', a life-size steel statue, now stands on the riverside walkway in the city as a nod to the forgotten women who built ships on the banks of the Wear which were crucial to the war effort.

It was unveiled by Sunderland MP and Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson.

She said: "It's such a privilege to unveil the statue, as we remember the forgotten heroes of the war effort, the women who worked in our shipyards and made such a big contribution to Sunderland's industrial past.

"But as we reflect as a city on our proud industrial past, we also look to the bright future that we have ahead of us, and the brilliant opportunities for women and girls today in some of those new jobs and technologies of the future."

The sculpture was created by artist Dr Ron Lawson, who himself started his career in heavy industry, working as an apprentice sheet metalworker in the nearby North Dock.

He said: “For generations my family have worked on the River Wear and in the Port of Sunderland and it’s been a privilege to create this tribute sculpture.

"Molly embodies the strength and resilience of those iconic women and girls who embraced the challenges of their time, and there were times during the sculpting it felt like she was creating herself, to tell her own story.”

Molly is the latest addition to a riverside sculpture trail shining a spotlight on Wearside's shipbuilding heritage, including the works ‘Gan Canny’, ‘Shadows in Another Light’, ‘Taking Flight’ and ‘Pathways to Knowledge’ by the artist Ray Lonsdale.

The charity Soroptimist International Sunderland has worked to raise the money to fund the sculpture over the past eight years. Sue Brown, from the charity, said: “During the two world wars, women played an integral role in building the ships that supported the war effort.

“These were women who undertook jobs like welding, riveting, burning and rivet catching, as well as general labouring, operating cranes, and painting. It was perilous work. Yet, history seems to have forgotten them.

“We really felt that these women deserve something – a permanent tribute – to honour their bravery and hard work. We wanted to acknowledge the courage and dedication of the shipyard women, as well as to celebrate the Soroptimists, who have done so much to champion women and girls in this city, and we couldn’t be happier with the end result. It’s such a fitting tribute."

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