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Date: June 22, 2022 09:37PM
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/20/britain-female-freemasons-women-grand-lodge-photo-essayThe roots of women’s Freemasonry can be traced to France in 1882, when Maria Deraismes became the first woman initiated, at the Lodge of Free Thinkers. Co-masonry (Freemasonry that admits both men and women) was brought from France to the UK in 1902 by Dr Annie Besant, who became its leader. Besant was a feminist campaigner, social reformer and one of the organisers of the matchgirls strike in 1888.
They are run by two Grand Masters (the women’s lodges use the same language, traditions and rites as the men’s). The Order of Women Freemasons has several thousand members while Freemasonry for Women has about 700. There are craft lodges (local lodges) of female masons throughout the UK and abroad, including in the US, India, Gibraltar, Spain and Romania.
Freemasonry originated among guilds of stonemasons and its symbols are objects used in construction. There are three fundamental degrees of Freemasonry: the first is Initiation, when someone joins; the second is Passing to Fellowcraft; and the third is Master Mason, also known as the ceremony of Raising.