The National Council of Women of Great Britain was founded in 1895 in response to the unsatisfactory working conditions faced by many women at the time. We formed to provide a forum where women could discuss and consider the social and political issues of the day, and work together towards a world where it is no disadvantage to be born a girl. Known as the National Union of Women Workers, the organisation quickly developed into a nationwide network of small groups, and within two years became associated with the International Council of Women (ICW).

Between 1900 and 1920, the Union set up Special Committees. One of the best known is the Women Patrol Committee (later known as the Women’s Police Committee) – a forerunner of the Women’s Police. Around the same time, we began our campaign for ‘Equal pay for Equal work’. In 1918, we became known as the National Council of Women of Great Britain.

Since 2013, we have been connecting with schools, colleges and universities to encourage young women to get involved in our work. We continue to respond to changes in society and, in recent years, have focused on issues ranging from consumer awareness to developments and challenges in science and health.

Today, our goals are essentially the same. we continue to provide a forum for debate and an opportunity for women to voice their concerns, make recommendations to Government and other decision-making agencies. We work actively to influence Government policy to improve the quality and equality of life for everyone. We voice our concerns about issues affecting women of all ages and the wider society through persistent activity, and make sure women’s voices and perspectives are heard and taken into account in policy making.

Our membership is predominantly individual members plus two active branches in Darlington and Nottingham. Individual members are welcome to join one of the branches and take part in regular meetings and discussions. We also have associated member organisations which share our aims and support our work.

National Council of Women is a member of Six-O, a group made up of the top six women’s organisations in the UK. The group meets three times a year to discuss plans, share achievements and information. The Six-O organisations join forces for International Women’s Day to highlight an issue and use it as a platform to raise awareness.