What is the Garrick Club and why is it only now accepting female members?

After almost two centuries of operation, the Garrick Club in London has decided to accept women as members. This decision marks a significant milestone for the historic institution.

A private gathering was held where a large number of members discussed and deliberated for two hours on the issue of granting women permission to join. At the conclusion of the meeting, almost 60% of the participants were in favor of allowing women to join.

The Garrick is a club situated in the Covent Garden area in London's West End. Recently, it has been attracting a lot of attention, especially after the Guardian newspaper released a roster containing the names of over 60 influential individuals who were members of the club.

Several notable figures such as Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, Michael Gove, the secretary of state for levelling up, Richard Moore, the head of MI6, and the cabinet secretary and senior policy advisor for the prime minister, Simon Case, were among those whose membership was rescinded after The Guardian newspaper reported on the issue. Simon Case and Richard Moore were part of the group that decided to resign their membership. There were around 500,000 civil servants being led by Case.

Earlier, the management of the club stated that they had been informed via letters and emails from over 200 members that they would quit if the decision was made against women.

What's A Gentleman's Club?

Exclusive social clubs exclusively for men were first established by wealthy British men, particularly from the upper class, during the 18th century and beyond. The Garrick Club, for example, was established in 1831. Initially, most of these social clubs were situated in the West End area of the city, particularly in St James's, which is still regarded as "clubland" today.

Membership System Operation In Detail

The process of becoming a member varies among different clubs. However, in most cases, an individual can only be admitted to the club after being nominated by at least two existing members and going through an election process.

At the Garrick, getting admitted can be really tough and time-consuming. To even have a chance, you have to have your name written down in a special book covered in red leather. Then you need to have two pages filled up with signatures from people who are already members. Only after all of that can you even be invited to come have dinner at the club. Even then, the members will talk about your nomination and some people might try to stop you from getting in by "blackballing" you.

Garrick's Women: A Membership History

Back in 2011, Hugh Bonneville suggested Joanna Lumley for membership in a certain club. However, this suggestion made some of the club's 1,500 members extremely upset. They even went so far as to tear out the page with her name on it from the nomination book. Four years later, the club held a vote on whether or not they should allow women to become members. Despite 50.5% supporting this idea, the club's policy remained unchanged because they required a two-thirds majority to make any changes to the rules.

Garrick's Women's Membership Rules On The Verge Of Change - Why?

The revelation of the club's membership by the Guardian this year, which included prominent figures such as lawyers, heads of publicly funded arts institutions and even King Charles, has sparked a surge of backing to allow women to join. The club's central role as a stronghold of the British elite has been emphasized, leading to increased pressure for female inclusivity.

The Garrick's exclusive membership list, which mainly consists of men, has brought attention to the fact that Britain's establishment is still very male-dominated. This is why people are calling for change, not because they are against men hanging out in men-only spaces.

The Garrick's membership voted to allow women to become members on Tuesday, after notable resignations and increased attention on the matter. The final vote was in favor with 59.98% of votes.

What's Next?

The club is unlikely to see a sudden surge of women members after the vote. This is because the membership process is known for being complicated and lengthy. Nonetheless, there is a chance that some women may be put forward for consideration in the near future.

Advocates for women's empowerment have prepared a roster of seven women they intend to suggest for inclusion into the membership: Mary Beard, a renowned expert on classical culture, Amber Rudd, a former cabinet official responsible for domestic affairs, Cathy Newman, who presents news for Channel 4, Ayesha Hazarika, a member of the Labour party in the House of Lords, Juliet Stevenson, an established actress, Margaret Casely-Hayford, the Chancellor of Coventry University and Chair of Trustees for Shakespeare's Globe theater, and Elizabeth Gloster, who served as a judge on the appeals court and is now a member of the House of Lords.