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Prof. Alison Richard and Prof. Julia Goodfellow (CEO, BBSRC) at the WiSETI Lecture on 19 May 2004

Women@Cambridge

The History of Women and Science in the University

In common with most other universities in the nineteenth century Cambridge did not admit women. However one part of a campaign to improve the education of women focused on Cambridge, especially after the University created the 'Higher Local Examinations' for girls (in 1868), a special examination for women over the age of 18. In 1869 plans were realised to allow women to participate in a Cambridge education. By the early 1870s the first two Cambridge women's Colleges, Girton and Newnham, were offering accommodation and teaching to young women although at the time women were not admitted as members of the University, nor were they permitted to attend University lectures for men, and special arrangements were made with separate lectures for women. Although the very early lectures did not include natural sciences, by 1878 Fellows at Christ's College were allowing female natural scientists from Newnham to attend their lectures, on the provision that the principal of the college escorted them. Girtonians were also being lectured in the sciences. In 1878 a (female) resident lecturer in natural sciences was appointed at Girton College.

Gradually professors in the scientific subjects opened their lectures to women. Some of these lectures were rather an ordeal especially when biological specimens were passed around the audience for inspection, as all the undergraduates turned to watch how the 'ladies' would react. In biology lectures, Girtonians would sit in the gallery with their microscopes at low windows, and the demonstrator would see them separately.

By 1880, both Newnham and Girton each had their own laboratory. The Girton laboratory was built as a result of a £600 benefaction from Lady Stanley of Alderley. Before this time, the women had been very much hampered in their practical work.

In 1881 the University agreed that women could take Tripos exams and be granted a certificate (but not a degree). There was very little in the way of research carried out by women after they had taken their Tripos exams, as private funding was necessary to undertake research. However valuable contributions to science were made by women, including a significant research contribution to botany by Miss Ethel Sargant, working in her own laboratory in Reigate. Miss Sargent was the first female member of council of the Linnean Society. The first research scholarships available to women at Girton were endowed in 1902.

In 1920, two distinguished professors from Cambridge wrote to the Times advocating the inclusion of women in their laboratories: Professors Rutherford (Physics) and Pope (Chemistry) admitted in their letter that their laboratories were very short of space, but that the solution was not to exclude certain students, but to expand their laboratory space. They welcomed the appearance of women in the laboratories. This letter appeared two days before the Senate House was to vote on admission of women to full University membership. Unfortunately on this occasion, women were defeated in their quest.

Eventually women were granted the title of degree in 1921, however they were not at this stage admitted to degrees at the ceremonies in the Senate House. Furthermore, in 1926, University Statues were amended to allow women to be eligible for all teaching posts and all examining work in the University, and that they might be members of Faculty Boards, compete for University prizes, scholarships and studentships.

One of many distinguished woman to receive a University degree was Rosalind Franklin (1941, Newnham), who, in 1945, was also awarded the degree of PhD by the University of Cambridge.

It was only in 1948 that Newnham and Girton Colleges and their students were allowed to take their place as Colleges of the University and full members of the University, respectively. For the first time, women were admitted to degrees in the Senate House in this year.

A commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the first admission of women to degrees of the University took place on 4th July 1998. Sir Alec Broers, the then vice-chancellor said:
" Today Cambridge is a very different place in almost every way. All the Colleges are open to women, who make up forty-five per cent of the undergraduate population. The number of women reaching senior academic ranks is still much lower than I would like, and than I think appropriate for the UK's leading University. The fraction of women studying the scientific and technological subjects that are generating today's revolution in human behaviour is also seriously below the ideal of fifty per cent. However, the University is strongly committed to equal opportunities and has a range of policies to support women. Women are strongly represented on the University Council, which is the principal executive and policy-making body of the University. Following in Dame Rosemary Murray's pioneering footsteps as our first woman Vice-Chancellor, Mrs Anne Lonsdale, the present President of New Hall, became this month one of the two Pro-Vice-Chancellors."

And of course, we now have a woman successor to Sir Alec Broers, Vice-Chancellor Professor Alison Richard, herself an alumna of the University.

Bibliography

Girton College 1869-1959 An informal History. B. Megson & J Lindsay, 1960, W. Heffer & Sons Ltd.
'That infidel place' A short History of Girton College 1869-1969. M.C. Bradbrook, 1969, Chatto and Windus
A Newnham Anthology. Ed. Anne Phillips, 1979, Cambridge University Press. Women at Cambridge. Rita McWilliams-Tullberg, 1998, Cambridge University Press
Fact sheet: Women at Cambridge: A Chronology

Fact sheets: Women in the University

Family Friendly Benefits

Details of the familiy friendly benefits offered by the Univeristy of cambridge are available from the Personnel Division website.

Women in the Colleges

Colleges have changed since 1948 also, with the first men's colleges opening their doors to women in 1965. The last men-only college, Magdalene, admitted its first female students in 1988. The only existing single-sex colleges in Cambridge are the three women-only colleges, Newnham, New Hall and Lucy Cavendish (for mature women students).

Equality and Diversity in the University

The University is committed to equality and diversity. It has published online its Equal Opportunities Policy and Codes of Practice.

In 2001 the University commissioned an Equality Audit by external consultants Schneider-Ross. You can access online the full report from the Equality and Diversity webpage. This report acknowledged that the University was making efforts to improve equality of opportunity for women, but that there was more to be done. The Equality and Diversity Agenda for Cambridge and the Gender Equality Action Plan highlight the University's on-going activities.

Women's Forum: a University Initiative for Women

The Women's Forum was a consultative process which took place during the academic year 2003-4 in order to hear the views of all women employed in the University. A report and implementation plan of the findings from the forum has been discussed with the Vice-Chancellor and put to the Central Bodies and the Personnel Committee.

An additional Women's Forum meeting was held in February 2006 giving women in the University an opportunity to hear updates on the Women's Forum 2003-04.