Edinburgh Women Citizens Association

Other names: 
EWCA
Dates: 
founded 1918

Women Citizens Associations were formed throughout Britain after WWI to organise and educate women voters into a
political force and to promote women’s representation.

The Edinburgh Women Citizens Association (EWCA) was founded in 1918.

Membership included Agnes ’Nannie’ Henderson Brown (1866-1943); Alexi Buttar Jack (1863-1948) who became the first honorary secretary, and a vice-president; Agnes Macdonald Syme (1882-1966) who had helped to set it up and was its first and longest-serving secretary; Sarah 'Sally' Elizabeth Siddons (1846-1941) who became vice-president after the partial grant of the vote; Lillias Tait Mitchell (1884-1940).

There is a tree planted by the Edinburgh Women Citizens Association in 1973, with a plaque commemorating this, on the wall at the East side of Lady Stair's Close, Lawnmarket, Royal Mile, Edinburgh (just above The Mound)

Sources
A Gude Cause Maks A Strong Arm
Edinburgh Museums Website

http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/PDFs/WSHistory and Classics PhD thesis collection -Biog.aspx

Love and work: feminism, family and ideas of equality and citizenship, Britain 1900-39.
Edinburgh Research Archive Website (History and Classics PhD thesis collection)