Her mother was Mary Jane Kinnaird who founded what would become the Young Women's Christian Association just before Emily was born.

Emily was secretary of the London branch of the YWCA and she used this position to assist the Indian Female Normal School and Instruction Society.

They did return occasionally and in 1905-6 Emily was the vice president of the Scottish branch of the Zenana Bible and Medical Missionary Society.

She was very interested in the YWCA but her life can be partly judged by her 1944 book My Adopted Country, 1889–1944 which was published in India at Lucknow.

[3] Kinnaird died in September 1947 and a memorial service was held for her at Queen Mary Hall the YWCA building in Campden.