A woman recalls joining the National Council of Women in the 1970s, where she was one of only four women among mostly men with an average age of 70. The council included vice president Sonia Davies and representatives from the Women's Council and trades council, but the gender imbalance was stark.
I remember in the 70s, they had the women's conventions and there was a lot of focus. And the fol, as it was then, the Federation of Labor, they were very focused on women's rights, and there were women's branches and women's organisations or women's councils being set up around the country, and there was representation being put on the Executive of Women. I mean, I remember getting elected to the National Council of Women. There were only three other women on it, and one was there because they were appointed from the Women's Council, and one was the vice president, Sonia Davies, and the other one was one of the other trades councils had elected a woman, so. And all the rest were men. And the average age dropped, you know, to about 70 when I arrived.
