Est. 1989
The FSA, formerly known as the Feminist and Women’s Studies Association (FWSA) first formed as a network in 1987, becoming an Association in 1990. During the beginnings of the association, in the early 1990s until 2007/8, the FSA was known as the Women’s Studies Network.
In 2020, the FSA shortened and updated its name from the FWSA to reflect the increasing diversity of our membership, the changing landscape of feminist and gender scholarship, and a desire to reach out to individuals and groups beyond the academy.
Below, you can find out more about our history in our 30th Anniversary interviews with previous chairs and executive committee members, alongside our history of Previous Chairs.
30th Anniversary
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the FSA, we held our Feminist Dilemmas, Feminist Hope event and recorded Oral Histories reflecting on feminist pasts, presents and futures.
Feminist Dilemmas, Feminist Hope
In October 2019, we held an event ‘Feminist Dilemmas, Feminist Hope? Celebrating 30 years of the Feminist and Women’s Studies Association (FWSA) and launch of the Gender and Sexualities Research Centre (GSRC)’ at City, University of London. The day featured three panels compose of feminist scholars, writers and activists who reflected on their experiences of feminist work in the past thirty years.
Below, you can find illustrations by Miriam Kent made on the day of Feminist Dilemmas, Feminist Hope.
Oral Histories
As part of our 30th anniversary celebrations, we recorded oral history interviews with previous chairs and executive committee members of the FSA, and asked them to reflect on their experiences of being involved with the association. You can see a list of our previous chairs below, and members can view parts of the FSA archive of documents we collected as part of this project in the members section.
The recordings reveal a fascinating history of feminist work and debate, both inside and outside of the academy. All interviews were conducted by Laura Clancy.
Interview with Jen Marchbank
Interview with Stacy Gillis
Interview with Alison Phipps
Interview with Mary Evans
Interview with Sylvia Walby
Interview with Karen Throsby
Interview with Maggie Humm
Interview with Carolyn Pedwell
Interview with Celia Roberts
Previous Chairs
The Association’s former Chairs include:
Vice Chair: Sue Lees
Chair: Professor Sylvia Walby
Co-chair: Mary Kennedy
Co-chair: Professor Maggie Humm
Co-chair: Professor Chris Corrin
Co-chair: Professor Eileen Green
Co-Chair: Professor Chris Corrin
Co-chair: Mary Kennedy
Co-Chair: Christine Zmroczek
Co-Chair: Professor Chris Corrin
Chair: Christine Zmroczek
Co-Chair: Professor Diana Leonard
Co-Chair: Professor Miriam David
Co-Chair: Dr Jennifer Marchbank
Co-Chair: Professor Miriam David
Co-Chair: Dr Carol Truman
Co-Chair: Dr Margrit Shildrick
Co-Chair: Dr Carol Truman
Co-Chair: Professor Alison Assiter
Co-Chair: Professor Alison Assiter
Co-Chair: Dr Susan Jackson
Co-Chair: Dr Margrit Shildrick
Co-Chair: Dr Susan Jackson
Co-Chair: Dr Margrit Shildrick
Co-Chair: Dr Clare Hemmings
Co-Chair: Dr Stacy Gillis
Co-Chair: Dr Clare Hemmings
Chair: Dr Stacy Gillis
Chair: Dr Alison Phipps
Acting Co-Chair: Dr Kate Sang
Acting Co-Chair: Dr Maud Perrier
Co-Chair: Dr. Ayona Datta
Co-Chair: Dr Kate Sang
Chair: Dr Kate Sang
Chair: Dr. Charlotte Mathieson
Co-Chair: Dr. Laura Clancy
Co-Chair: Dr. Sara De Benedictis
Chair: Dr Sara De Benedictis
Chair: Dr. Laura Clancy