The Women’s Library at 100: celebrating a century of collections

The Women’s Library, the UK’s oldest and largest collection on the history of the women’s movement, is 100 years old.

This exhibition looks at the history of The Women’s Library and explores its rich and diverse collections from the viewpoint of researchers and their current engagement with it. Through the broad themes of international relations, women’s equality campaigning, political representation, child protection, and feminist publishing, the material highlights the important role women have played in shaping society.

Featuring over 60 items, many on display for the first time, this exhibition represents just a fraction of the extensive history preserved in The Women’s Library—stories of activism, resilience, and progress that continue to inspire today.

Lead image: Cockburn/12/2 ‘New Year 1996’ in Medica, Bosnia.

Exhibition curators

Patricia Owens, Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford.

Kelly Bosomworth, Midlands4Cities PhD candidate, University of Birmingham.

Dr Grace Heaton, Lecturer in History, University of Oxford.

Dr Lyndsey Jenkins, Associate Professor, University of Oxford.

Dr Claire Cunnington, Interpersonal violence researcher, University of Sheffield.

Caroline Derry, Professor of Feminism, Law and History, The Open University.

Nazmia Jamal, Paul Mellon Centre’s New Narratives Doctoral Scholar, University College London.

Gillian Murphy, Curator for Equality, Rights and Citizenship, LSE Library.

How to find us

Organise a tour

• The Gallery is a small enough space for a 15 minute tour — available on request.

Opening times from March 2026

• Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm
• Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 6pm

Any questions?

Contact us via email or see other ways to get in touch

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