While she was helping women in North Kensington she met and was inspired by the veteran suffragette Flora Drummond who was nicknamed "The General".

[5] The first President of the MWA was Edith Summerskill and other notable recruits were Vera Brittain, the lawyer Helena Normanton[4] and later in 1945 Lady Helen Nutting.

Helena Normington was President and she took an independent line when presenting evidence to the Royal Commission on Marriage and Divorce.

Rank and file objections were made that the approach favoured privileged women which was not the association's aim.

[4] The row resulted in a schism and the formation of the Council of Married Women led by Normanton, Doreen Gorsky, Evelyn Hamilton and Helen Nutting.