Premium
Progress Towards Gender Democracy in UK Unions 1987–2012
Author(s) -
Kirton Gill
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
british journal of industrial relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.665
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-8543
pISSN - 0007-1080
DOI - 10.1111/bjir.12052
Subject(s) - democracy , representation (politics) , political science , period (music) , political economy , demographic economics , sociology , economics , law , physics , politics , acoustics
Abstract This article provides a detailed chronological account of the extent of overall change in women's representation in UK unions' structures of democracy and in unions' adoption of gender equality ( GE ) strategies over a 25‐year period (1987–2012). The findings reveal huge progress towards gender proportionality and towards getting women's concerns on the union agenda. The evidence strongly suggests that at least in part this progress can be attributed to the wide range of GE strategies increasingly adopted over the period. However, the article exposes persistent gaps and warns against regarding the union gender democracy project as finished business.