The life-sized corten steel sculpture, named Molly, was revealed on the banks of the River Wear by education secretary Bridget Phillipson.
Created by artist Dr Ron Lawson, the piece celebrates the often-overlooked women who worked in Sunderland’s shipyards during the war.
Ms Phillipson, who is also the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, said: “As MP for Houghton and Sunderland South and Minister for Women and Equalities, I am proud to have unveiled this brilliant sculpture. The unveiling of the new statue (Image: CREO COMMS)
“The sculpture is a fantastic way to recognise our city’s rich shipbuilding heritage and celebrate the women of Wearside who played a crucial role in the war effort.
“I hope the statue serves as an inspiration for young women across our city to embrace the industries of tomorrow and continue to fight for equality.”
Dr Lawson, who began his career in the heavy industry as an apprentice sheet metalworker in the North Dock, used the same skills depicted in the sculpture to create it.
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.”
The sculpture was commissioned by Sunderland City Council and the Sunderland branch of the Soroptimists, an organisation supporting women and girls worldwide.
The inspiration for Molly came from the book series The Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell, which is based on the women who worked in the Sunderland shipyards during the wars.
Ms Revell said: “Ever since stumbling upon a lone article in the BBC archives about the women who worked in the Sunderland shipyards during both wars, I was in awe of what they had done, but also incensed that they had been totally forgotten – and never revered for the critical and crucial work they had done during such a hugely important period of our history.”
The installation of Molly is the latest addition to Sunderland’s sculpture trail, which also includes Ray Lonsdale’s Gan Canny, Shadows in Another Light, Taking Flight and Pathways to Knowledge.
Councillor Beth Jones, portfolio holder for communities, culture and tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “The Molly statue is a fantastic tribute to all of the inspirational women who worked in our shipyards and whose pivotal roles in the war effort are so often forgotten.
“Sunderland has an industrial history like no other and memorials such as this are key to ensuring that legacy lives on and continues to inspire generations of Wearside women to come.”
The project has been more than eight years in the making.
Sue Brown, from Soroptimist International Sunderland, 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.”
The thirteenth in Ms Revell’s series – A secret in the family – is being published on January 20 and is the second book in her new series, The Cuthford Manor – an offshoot of the Shipyard Girls following one of the women in her life after the war.