Tory women’s new image

Press, 1 June 1977, Page 12

Tory women’s new image

NZPA London Britain’s Conservative (Opposition) Party women, in an attempt to shed their teaparty image, have been tackling the problems of women in unions, industry and small businesses at their annual conference in London. “Very few women are extremists. But if we are to reject the ‘nut’ feminism, we should realise that ‘gut’ fe-( minism is what this country needs if we are to return to j prosperity under the Tories,” I said Lady Howe, wife of the shadow spokesman on economic and treasury affairs (Sir Geoffrey Howe).

The Conservatives bad to represent young working women, she said. And it was their problems which took up most of the time during the first day of the conference. “Regardless of equal opportunities, a woman still needs to be at least 25 per cent better than a man to get the same promotion,”, one delegate said. | Several delegates said; women were not working as; a hobby but because their families needed a second pay packet to pay bills. “However, I do not go out and work, and political parties and charities should also recognise the contribution the non-working women of the land make to their efforts,” a Yorkshire widow and mother of four said to' loud applause.

The conference — with most of the 2500 delegates bare-headed in contrast to the hatted crowds of previous years — decided to shorten the speeches in favour of study papers prepared by the regions on topics such as factory working hours and union practicalities. A study paper about women working in manufacturing industries in the East Midlands showed that 91 per cent of the women working

in that area who were trade union members never attended branch meetings. The Shadow Minister for Employment, Mr James Prior, told- the women they could impose their ideologyon the trade-union movement if they participated in it actively. “It is one thing to pass resolutions at women’s advisory committee meetings (about what the unions are doing and against the closed shop, but the way to have (real effect is by going and casting your vote and saying your piece at branch meetings. “I want to see women playing a part in union affairs,” he said. The women also showed a keen interest in taxation and its effect on them —l7 of the 83 motions on the ballot were on the subject. The conference passed one by a large majority, calling Tor tax reforms that would limprove the lot of widows, pensioners and solo parents [with families who wanted to [continue working.