The term 'women's committee' throughout this article is used to mean any such structure which deals with women's issues in local authorities including women's sub-committees, steering groups, working parties, women's forum and so on.
2.
It usually is!
3.
These quotations are taken from actual terms of reference of existing women's committees. They are quoted becaue they are typical of many, which is why I have not identified any specific authority.
4.
Refers to equal opportunities for women; the survey did not cover local authority provision for other groups eg black and/or disabled people.
5.
Including the Equal Pay Act1970.
6.
The term includes professions and semi-professions such as solicitors, educationalists, social workers, housing officers, personnel officers and so on.
7.
Greater participation in its affairs may make the public less inclined to see local government disappear altogether.
8.
For detailed information at the international level I would refer the interested reader to Leghorn and Parker (1981) and at local government level in this country to Isabella Stone's research (Stone forthcoming) which has some interesting details.
9.
For example the campaigns for women's suffrage. equal pay, and the role of women in the 1986 Miners dispute.
10.
Barron J., Crawley G., Wood T. ( 1987) Married to the Council The Private Costs of Public Service , Bristol Polytechnic, Bristol .
11.
Flannery K., and Roelofs S. (1984) 'Local Government Women's Committees' in Feminist Action I (ed) J. Helland.Battle Axe Books, London.
12.
Goss S. ( 1984) 'Women's Initiatives in Local Government' in Local Socialism (eds) Body M and Fudge C, Macmillan, London.
13.
Ipm (1975) Sex Discrimination Act: A Guide For ManagersIPM, London.
14.
Kanter R. (1977) Men and Women of the CorporationBasic Books, New York
15.
Leghorn L. and Parker K. (1981) Women's Worth RKP, London
16.
Maud R. ( 1964) Report of the Royal Commmission on Local Government in England & Wales, HMSO. London
17.
Perrigo S. (1986) 'Socialist Feminism & The Labour Party' in Feminist Review No 23 Summer 1986
18.
Spender D. (1980) Man Made LanguageRKPLondon
19.
Stacey M. and Price M. (1981) Women, Power and PoliticsTavistock . London
20.
Stone I. (forthcoming April 1988) Equal Opportunities in Local AuthoritiesEOCManchester
21.
Tawney R.H. (1931) EqualityAllen and Unwin, London
22.
Webster B. (1983) Women's Committees Local Government Policy Making November. 1983
