PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Dame Caroline Haslett and the 100th anniversary of the Electrical Association for Women (29 October 2024)

That this House recognises, on the centenary of her founding of the Electrical Association for Women, the significance of Dame Caroline Haslett's contributions to the field of electrical engineering and the emancipation of women; notes that Dame Caroline was born in 1895, in Crawley in the county of West Sussex, and that she was a trailblazer in the emerging field of electrical engineering, believing that through harnessing the power of electricity women might be freed from the drudgery of domestic chores and enabled to take on new pursuits outside of the home; further recognises that she helped to set up the Women's Engineering Society in 1919 and was the first editor of the Woman Engineer magazine; further notes that, in the 1920s, before the formation of the National Grid, she wired her St John’s Wood home and designed a square kettle and saucepan that could be used on an electrical hotplate; also recognises that, as electricity gained wider usage, Dame Caroline became a safety expert for the Government and, in 1947, she was the only female member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers committee that designed the BS1363 safety standard which three-pin plugs and sockets continue to use to this day; and also notes that, in later life, she took on a wide range of public appointments, including as a member of the Crawley New Town Development Corporation, and passionately campaigned for the improvement of science education for girls.

Sponsored by:
Peter Lamb (Labour)