Our Summer Seminar Series draws to a close soon, but we are delighted to end what has been wonderful, insightful and stimulating series with a fascinating paper by Dr Eleanor Peters, titled: ‘The Miracle of the Nuclear Age’ and the Electrical Association for Women.
The seminar will take place via Zoom on Tuesday 18th August, 4pm-5pm BST, including a Q&A session following the talk. We hope to see you at the seminar!
Sign up here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IzwMkXQLQ2ep-SB8t7PC9g
About the Talk
In February 1955, the British Government issued a White Paper announcing its 10-year programme for nuclear power stations. The thirty-year-old Electrical Association for Women (EAW) responded with unwavering support, echoing the industry’s assertion that the growing demand for electricity in post-war Britain could not be met without nuclear energy. Examining the decision by EAW directors Mary George (1956–1976) and Ann McMullan (1976–1986) to align the organisation with the nuclear industry highlights a previously unacknowledged role that a women-led organisation held in promoting a positive nuclear narrative. The EAW’s support for the nuclear industry developed against a backdrop of growing anti-nuclear sentiment among grassroots organisations, the Women’s Liberation Movement, and environmental groups.
This paper investigates the tensions between technological innovation and feminist ideologies, particularly the role of women in negotiating diverse and often contentious perspectives on nuclear energy. More broadly, it contributes to historiographical debates about how nuclear energy was controlled, represented, and contested in Britain during the latter half of the twentieth century, with a specific focus on the EAW.
This paper is relevant in a current context where technology companies are striking deals with nuclear power plants to supply energy for AI systems and data centres. Questions persist regarding public perception, cost, and the readiness of nuclear facilities, while AI technologies themselves continue to reveal embedded misogyny within their infrastructures, reigniting tensions between feminist ideologies and the adoption of nuclear energy.
About the Speaker
Eleanor Peters is a historian and independent researcher who earned her doctorate from the University of Aberdeen and currently serves as Vice-Convenor of Women’s History Scotland. Her research explores the intersection of gender, technology, and science, with a particular focus on women’s roles as mediators of science and technology. In 2024, she joined the steering group for a project marking the centenary of the Electrical Association for Women. Her research has been published in Nature Reviews Physics, Women’s History Review, Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, and Notes and Records: The Royal Society Journal of the History of Science.
