Robert L. D. Cooper

 

Cracking the Freemason’s Code. The Truth About Solomon’s Key and the Brotherhood. London: Rider 2006, 199.

 

 

Women and Freemasonry

 

As we have seen, modern Freemasonry derives from the Lodges of the stonemasons. As there were no women stonemasons in medieval times, Freemasonry is simply continuing a centuries-old custom and practice by not admitting women today. Freemasonry is absolutely not anti-women, but merely a gender-specific organization such as a football team.

 

However, I am sure that many will be surprised to learn that there are indeed women Freemasons - a large number, in fact. In the UK there is one organization that admits both men and women (the International Order of Co-Freemasonry) and there is another that does not admit men (the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemason). These organizations have a presence outside the UK, and information about them is available an the Internet.

 

Many of the organizations that admit women, or that are women-only, are offen very similar to branches of traditional Freemasonry in terms of what they offer their members, but nevertheless they should not be confused with traditional Freemasonry. These organizations include the Order of the Eastern Star, the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, Job's Daughters International, Daughters of the Nile and Sigma Tau Alpha. (Only the Eastern Star has a significant presence in the UK, but the others are particularly strong in the USA and Canada.) Most require a Masonic connection for membership.