# Conservative Women's Organisation

The Conservative Women's Organisation (CWO) represents the female members of the Conservative Party in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Conservative Women's Organisation Scotland operates in Scotland. The Chair of CWO Scotland sits on the CWO National Executive.
The youth wing of Conservative Women's Organisation is called Conservative Young Women.
As with all political parties, membership has declined and the CWO had about 5,000 active members in 2012 (although not all women party members are actually CWO members, they must join separately). Attendance at the CWO Annual Conference has been between 300 and 750 in the past five years.
It also sends delegates to the National Conservative Convention, the parliament of the party's voluntary wing (Voluntary Party).

## History

The National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations' Central Women's Advisory Committee (CWAC) was formed in 1908 and officially founded in 1919, although not affiliated to the Conservative Party until 1928. Its roots go back to the Grand Ladies Council of the Primrose League of 1885. It changed its name to the Women's National Advisory Committee (WNAC) in 1951 and again to the Conservative Women's National Committee (CWNC) in April 1982. It changed to its current title in April 2007.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the CWO had more than a quarter of a million members and became the largest women's political organisation in the Western world. For several decades, the women's organisation's annual conference was regularly held in the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The CWO celebrated its centenary in 2019 at its conference at Methodist Hall in London on 9 March 2019. The organisation created a supplementary centenary logo, which includes a primrose, in reference to its roots in the Primrose League – and uses the suffragette colours of purple, white and green.

## Purpose

According to its website, the CWO is:
* The grassroots network that provides support and focus for women in the Conservative Party
* Reaching out to women in all parts of the community
* Campaigning on issues of particular concern to women both nationally and internationally
* Encouraging women to be politically active and to get elected at all levels
* Ensuring that the women's perspective is taken into account because women see things differently from men
* Helping the Conservative Party capture the women's vote

## Organisation
### National Executive

The CWO Executive Committee has responsibility for the overall management of the organisation and is composed of:
* CWO officers (president, chairman, 3 deputy chairmen, treasurer and deputy chairman Europe)
* European Union of Women (EUW) British Section Officers
* The 12 regional chairmen plus 2 additional executive members (AEMs) per region
* Up to 8 co-options
* Up to 8 additional members

### National officers

The national officers for 2022/3 are:
| Position | Name | Since |
| National President | Eve Burt | 2022 |
| National Chairman | Pamela Hall | 2022 |
| National Deputy Chairman | Susan Coleman | 2023 |
| National Deputy Chairman | Neeti Gupta | 2022 |
| National Deputy Chairman | Aphra Brandreth | 2022 |
| National Treasurer | Janet Parrott | 2022 |

### Regions

* East Midlands
* Eastern
* London
* North East
* North West
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland (as Scottish Conservative Women)
* South West
* Southern
* Wales
* West Midlands
* Yorkshire
Each of the 12 regions are broken into Areas (roughly by county), with each having their own Area Chairman with responsibility to the Regional Chairmen. An affiliated (or recognised) Conservative Association women's group, known as Association CWOs or Conservative Women's Constituency Committees (CWCCs).

### Affiliation and constitution

The organisation is officially affiliated to the Conservative Party. Its last constitution was ratified by the CWO AGM in March 2007 and ratified by the Party Board on 7 April 2007. A revised constitution was ratified by the CWO AGM on 29 March 2014 and ratified by the Party Board on 28 April 2014.

### Elections

National and Regional elections take place at Annual General Meetings before 30 April each year.

## Policy and research
### CWO Forums

Although the organisation primarily represents the views of the women grassroots members of the Conservative Party, it is also involved in policy and research, which particularly affect women in the UK. It does this primarily through its CWO Forums – panel based discussion meetings that are generally held in the Palace of Westminster and which are open to men and women, and to people from all political persuasions.
Subjects covered in the last five years include:
* Human Trafficking
* Sexual Exploitation
* Policing
* 'Big Brother' Syndrome
* Animal Welfare
* Drugs
* Immigration/Asylum
* Environment
* Criminal Justice System
* Food Labelling
* Housing/Planning
* Mental Health
* Pensions
* Europe
* Forced Marriages
* Prostitution
* Gang Culture
* Iraq & Afghanistan
* Cyber Bullying
* Local Government
* Taxation
* Stalking
* Rural Poverty

### CWO Development

Set up by the then chairman, Pauline Lucas, in 2010, the development programme mentors and develops women to stand for public office at all levels. Workshops are usually held at the Conservative Campaign Headquarters in London but sponsored Be a Councillor days are held around the UK. Workshops cover communication, interviews, applications, campaigns and finance, together with other "transferable skills". In July 2013, the CWO announced a new workshop as an introduction for women to apply for Public Appointments and Non-Executive Director roles.

## Conferences

The first recorded Conservative Women's Conference was in 1921 and holding an annual conference is part of its constitution. For several decades, the women's organisation's annual conference was regularly held in the Royal Albert Hall.

## National CWO Chairmen

| Years | Chair |
| 1919-1921 | Lady Fitzalan [Lady Edmund Talbot, formerly Lady Mary Bertie] |
| 1921-1925 | Mrs W. Bridgeman [Caroline Bridgeman, The Viscountess Bridgeman DBE] |
| 1925-1928 | Viscountess Elveden |
| 1928-1932 | Countess of Iveagh |
| 1933-1935 | Dame Regina Evans |
| 1935-1938 | Lady Hillingdon |
| 1938-1942 | Mrs Marian Whitehead |
| 1942-1945 | Mrs Hornyold-Strickland |
| 1945-1948 | Dame Lucile Sayers [Elsewhere listed as Mrs Lorne Sayers] |
| 1948-1951 | Mrs Anne Warde |
| 1951-1954 | Evelyn Emmet, Baroness Emmet of Amberley [Otherwise described as Mrs TA Emmet] |
| 1954-1957 | Katharine Elliot, The Baroness Elliot of Harwood DBE [otherwise described as Mrs Walter Elliot] |
| 1957-1960 | Lady Mary Graham |
| 1960-1963 | Dame Margaret Shepherd [Otherwise described as Peggy Shepherd] |
| 1963-1966 | Mrs CJA Doughty [later, Dame Adelaide Doughty] |
| 1966-1969 | Dame Unity Lister |
| 1969-1972 | Dame Margot Smith [Otherwise described as Mrs Roy Smith] |
| 1972-1975 | Dame Shelagh Roberts |
| 1975-1978 | Dame Ann Springman [listed as Margaret Springham in the Times] |
| 1978-1981 | Dame Pamela Hunter [Otherwise described as Mrs Gordon Hunter] |
| 1981-1984 | Joan Seccombe, The Baroness Seccombe DBE |
| 1984-1987 | Dame Margaret Fry |
| 1987-1990 | Dame Wendy Mitchell |
| 1990-1993 | Mrs Hazel Byford, The Baroness Byford DBE |
| 1993-1996 | Dame Joyce Annelay, The Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE |
| 1996-1999 | Mrs Caroline Abel-Smith OBE |
| 1999-2002 | Mrs Marney Swan OBE |
| 2002-2005 | Mrs Pamela Parker |
| 2005-2008 | Lady Fiona Hodgson, The Baroness Hodgson of Abinger CBE |
| 2008-2011 | Mrs Pauline Lucas MBE |
| 2011-2012 | Ms Niki Molnar MBE |
| Mar-Nov 2012 | Mrs Katy Bourne |
| 2013-2016 | Ms Niki Molnar MBE |
| 2016-2019 | Mrs Julie Iles OBE |
| 2019-2022 | Mrs Fleur Butler |
| 2022- | Ms Pamela Hall OBE |