Daytime Event – The Heritage of Women in Exploration…

Is a full day conference where attendees will learn more about the pioneering women of the past, discover new characters and hear stories of their adventures. The full programme (details below) will include both long and short talks, plus films. Event speakers include academics, historians and modern-day explorers. You can read more about our experts and their session summaries below.

The event will bring to life many remarkable characters with personal accounts and photos, providing a fascinating new insight into a little-known world.

In a time when women demanded equality, we look at the those who left inhibition at home and journeyed through a man’s world to realise their dreams.

Historical women like Victorian nurse Kate Marsden (1859 – 1931) who trudged thousands of miles across Russia — from Moscow to Siberia — braving sub-zero temperatures in search of a cure for leprosy; journalist Nellie Bly (1864-1922) who circled the world faster than anyone ever had (72 days) alone with just a Gladstone bag; and Myrtle Simpson - awarded the Polar Medal in 2017.

WAExpo and special guest speakers will celebrate the courage, resolve and achievements of these women and many more who have adventured throughout history.

Tickets for the day conference include lunch and refreshments at Royal Geographical Society, plus a complimentary ticket to the evening event Women in the Polar Regions.

Come and be inspired by many strong and amazing role models, women who dared to explore the globe, re-wrote history and pioneered adventure travel.

Evening Event - Women in the Polar Regions, with Felicity Aston and special guests….

World record breaking polar explorer Felicity Aston MBE, Author, Speaker, former Antarctic Scientist and the first woman to ski alone across Antarctica, gives an account of Women in the Polar Regions, covering history through to the present day.

Felicity will be joined by special guests, members of the IceMaidens Antarctica Expedition and Women’s Euro Arabian North Pole Expedition. Hear the incredible stories and experiences from today’s modern explorers.

The IceMaidens covered 1,700km using muscle-power alone, pulling sledges and battling temperatures of -50°C and wind speeds of over 60mph during their three-month journey. Unsupported, and with only two resupply points along the route. The team are serving members of the British Army or Army Reserve and followed in the footsteps of Felicity Aston’s record-breaking solo Antarctic crossing in 2012.

The Women’s Euro Arabian North Pole Expedition is an international team of women from across Europe and the Middle East, who (despite being predominantly novices) successfully skied together to the North Pole in April 2018. The expedition aimed to foster greater dialogue and understanding between women from Western and Arabian cultures, as well as to inspire all women to reach beyond the expectation of others and fulfil their own life ambitions.

The evening talk took place in the Ondaatje Theatre, The Royal Geographical Society (with IGB), London at 7pm on 21st June.