Women Freemasons have been meeting across the country for more than 100 years.
There are two female-only Grand Lodges: Order of Women Freemasons. and the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (Freemasonry for Women (HFAF). They both follow exactly the same ceremonies and wear the same regalia as male Freemasons, and they often work closely with community and charity projects.
The United Grand Lodge of England has an excellent working relationship with both Grand Lodges. Members from the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (Freemasonry for Women) and The Order of Women Freemasons have both taken part in Open House London at Freemasons’ Hall in recent years in order to showcase female Freemasonry, as well as taking part in joint Freshers’ Fairs up and down the country as part of the Universities Scheme.
The Order of Women Freemasons is the oldest and largest Masonic organisation for women in this country and works on the lines of regular male Freemasonry. It was constituted as the Grand Lodge of the Honourable Order of Ancient Masonry in 1908 and adopted the title ‘The Order of Women Freemasons’ in 1958.
The Order originally included men and women but in the early 1920s a decision was made to restrict admission to women only, and by 1935 it was an exclusively female organisation. The Order’s headquarters have been situated in Notting Hill Gate, London, since 1925 and are run by the Grand Master and her secretariat, who undertake their duties on a voluntary basis.
