Royal Geographical Society

In 1887 the President first suggested to the Council that women may be allowed to become members of the Royal Geographical Society, however the subject was soon dropped. Two years later a Fellow revived the question but it was again refused. In 1892 the Scottish Geographical Society, which had allowed female members and fellows since its inception, established a branch in London - this was a rival to the Royal Geographical Society and as a result they granted access to their meetings to members of all British geographical societies. That a woman should have rights in the RGS by belonging to another body was an anomaly, and on 4 Jul 1892 the President moved in the Council that women should be eligible for Fellowship. This was carried at once and almost unanimously. However there were dissenters among the Fellows and on 24 April 1893 the decision to allow female Fellows was reversed, although the 22 women who had already been made Fellows were retained. This provoked controversy among the Fellows and another Special General Meeting was held in July, but the proposal for women Fellows was again lost. It was not until a Special General Meeting on 15 Jan 1913 that women were again admitted as Fellows.