A Century of Electrifying Women: Perspectives from Feminist Archive North and Beyond

The UK’s Electrical Association for Women (EAW) was launched 100 years ago in November 1924. This event explores the EAW’s legacy of promoting women’s professional expertise in electrifying the home

The UK’s Electrical Association for Women (EAW) was launched 100 years ago in November 1924. This centenary event explores the EAW’s long legacy of promoting women’s professional expertise in electrifying the home. Register via EventBrite.

Speakers:

• Lynette Willoughby (Former President of Women’s Engineering Society, & Feminist Archive North Archive volunteer)
• Katie Carpenter (Lecturer in Public History, School of History, University of Leeds)
• Graeme Gooday (Professor of History of Science & Technology, School of PRHS, University of Leeds).

For decades after its foundation on 12th November 1924, the UK’s Electrical Association for Women was the UK’s go-to organisation for modernizing domestic energy consumption. The EAW launched qualifications schemes that enabled thousands of women to hold specialist technical careers in the electrical industry. Yorkshire was a major locus of activity inspired by the example of Laura Annie Willson: former suffragette and Halifax engineer-house builder. The EAW was so successful at establishing women’s authority in post-fossil fuel electrification, that sibling organisations were launched in the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Please join us to discuss the University’s Feminist Archive North historical collections relating to the EAW – books, journals, badges and tea-towels – and reflect with us on what the EAW’s legacy might mean for women’s roles in achieving a de-carbonised world.

Lunch is available afterward for this event 1-2pm (sign up via Eventbite).

This event is affiliated to the Electric Dreams national project marking the EAW’s Centenary.