A club of their own: Cambridge women's societies and associations 1883-1914

Thu 5 December 2019

Cambridge University Library

Dr Ann Kennedy Smith discusses how the influential women’s groups that sprang up in 1880s Cambridge, providing forums for intellectual debate among the University's first female students and other women, and encouraging political, professional and social activism beyond college walls.

Although the first women at Cambridge did not join University societies, as former student Blanche Athena Clough (Newnham College Principal 1920-23) recalled above, the 1880s saw several new women-led associations springing up. This talk is about four of these influential groups, which provided forums for intellectual debate among the University's first female students and other women, as well as promoting active involvement in social issues.

The largest of these was the Cambridge Ladies' Discussion Society. Originally connected to the University Society for the Discussion of Social Questions, it became an independent women's association in 1886 that kept in step with the University's terms and organisational principles. Newnham and Girton students were encouraged to join, and a joint talk was held with the male student society once a year. As well as providing a social network that was free from 'town and gown' divisions, the Cambridge Ladies' Discussion Society encouraged the University's women students to become involved in social activism, with talks on ‘Women’s Trade Unions’, 'Technical Education for Women' and 'The Need for Women in Municipal Affairs'.

Cost: Free