So do we still live in a sexist world?

JACKIE Medley doesn't shirk from making her feelings known.

A year ago, the battling equal rights campaigner branded members of the Club and Institute Union (CIU) "cavemen" for refusing to allow women associate membership of social and working men's clubs.

This week, after the CIU again rejected associate membership for women, she stormed that women were being treated as "second class citizens' by the club movement.

Jackie, a member of Bishopthorpe Social Club, says the cause of women's equality has made great strides in many areas.

"I work for the Post Office, and in my work I have never been classed as anything other than a colleague," she says.

But not at the clubs. Most accept that women should be admitted as equal members, but there is still a minority of men whose attitudes haven't changed, and they are spoiling the movement for women.

One such man was quoted in a national newspaper, she says, with barely disguised irritation. "He said: 'Oh, we let a few women in. After all, they can get the beers in'. That's the attitude I just can't stand! Why women allow their husbands or partners to have that sort of attitude towards them I don't know. It's the women's own fault."

What drives Jackie mad is the fact that while most working men's and social clubs now accept women as full members, under CIU rules, women are banned from holding "associate membership" which would allow them entry to clubs other than the one of which they are a member.

Women who want to visit other clubs have to be signed in as a guest - more often than not by a man. "But they don't want to have to tag a man along all the time any more than a man wants to tag a woman along," she says.

Jackie blames 'sexist' men from north-eastern clubs for voting to keep women away.

"It's just these few men who say it is 100 years of tradition and we have to hold on to that tradition," she says. "But they are staying in the dark ages. When clubs are closing all the time, they have to take a step back and think about what is the way forward."

It's not only working men's clubs that have traditionally treated women as second class. There are other areas of British life - the church, for example, the armed forces, golf clubs - where women have been denied the rights and opportunities available to men.

So how are they adapting to life in the 21st century?

The church

IT IS more than ten years since the first women were ordained as priests within the Church of England. That was a huge step forward. But even so, women can still not become bishops.

It is time that changed, says Nancy Eckersley, the vicar of Heslington.

"The argument was about whether women should be ordained as priests, not about whether they should be bishops," she says. "But once you have women priests, there is no logical reason why you should not have women bishops."

So why hasn't it happened? Change takes time, she says, especially in an organisation such as the Church of England, with its system of synods designed to ensure everybody has a chance to have their say. "You cannot just suddenly shake off 2,000 years of male dominance in ten years."

Nancy admits to occasional feelings of frustration. It is noticeable that while at the top levels the church is male dominated at grassroots level most of the people packing the pews on a Sunday are women.

She also finds it frustrating that in order to make her voice heard at synod, for example, she often ends up acting more like a man.

"Men's voices are louder than women's, and where there are issues that are slightly contentious people get more vociferous and vocal," she says. "So if you want your voice heard, you have to speak like a man and be prepared to interrupt the person who is speaking."

Beryl Bowes, rector of the united benefice of Amotherby, Barton-le-Street, Appleton-le-Street, Slingsby, Hovingham, Coneysthorpe and Scackleton in Ryedale, believes it is only a matter of time before women do become bishops. "I think they would be very good bishops," she says.

And does she have any ambitions to be a bishop herself? "Me a bishop? No!" she says. "Not that women never aspire to such a position, but it is very managerial. I wouldn't like the managerial and administrative side of it. But many other women would."

The 19th hole

GOLF traditionally tolerated women at best - but only so long as they kept their place.

For years, women at many golf clubs were barred from the so-called "19th hole", the clubhouse bar where men went to relax over a drink after a round of golf. "The 19th hole was always sacrosanct," says Anne Everton, Ladies Captain at Fulford Golf Club.

There was even at one time a metal strip across the clubhouse floor over which women were not allowed to tread. "It was just an accepted part of life," she says. "You either accepted it, or you didn't join."

Not any more. Fulford, in common with most other golf clubs, voted in 1999 to allow women equal membership and equal rights to men. Women now pay the same fees as men and have all the same rights. That includes the right to play on the course at any time - and even to call in at the 19th hole, Anne says.

"Most of us don't, but it is there if we want to. And we can use the snooker room if we want."

Anne, who has been a golfer for almost 40 years, admits there is still one area of golf club life with which some women members are not satisfied. Many would like to see more mixed competitions, in which women competed alongside men.

"That is not my point of view, but a lot of the ladies would like to see fully integrated competitions," Anne says. "So there is still some way to go, but we are getting there."

The Armed Forces

WOMEN are still excluded from certain areas of military life. They cannot become Royal Marines, for example, or serve in the armoured corps, on submarines or in infantry units.

Nevertheless, women have served with distinction in times of conflict on ships, as RAF pilots, and in the army as engineers, technicians and in support units such as signals.

Capt Sally Richardson is based at Imphal Barracks, where she is Adjutant of the 2nd Signal Regiment, a senior role which sees her acting as the commanding officer's principle staff officer.

She has seen service in Northern Ireland and, during the Gulf War, at Umm Qasr, where she helped work on strategic communications systems. There were women serving further forward than her, providing communications support with 1 (UK) Armoured division, she adds.

She has no problem about not being allowed to serve in a front-line infantry unit.

"The majority of women who join the Army have no desire to serve in these units," she says. "We are acutely aware of our strengths and weaknesses and prefer to be employed in roles we can perform to the best of our abilities."

The Army has come a long way in the past ten to 15 years, Capt Richardson says. "Fifteen years ago it would be unlikely that after only five and a half years' commissioned service I would be sitting in this position, particularly as a 30 year old," she says.

"It would have been viewed a waste of training giving the likelihood that I would be leaving to have children in the next few years.

"It is still true that women do leave to have children, but show me a profession where this doesn't happen. The Armed Forces are more positive about maternity and paternity leave and will take personal circumstances into consideration when looking at postings."

And how do men feel about taking orders from her? No problem, she says. "Show me a man who is not slightly in awe of an authoritative woman." She has worked hard to reach her rank, and junior officers do what she tells them, she says. She has only ever once had problems from a non-commissioned officer, when she was a troop commander.

"I quickly explained the errors of his ways and it did not happen again," she says. The secret is to treat the men she works with and commands with courtesy and respect. "Then there is no question of people not respecting your authority."

So would she recommend the armed forces as a career for women? Definitely.

"Your life is never dull, you can travel easily and you make the most wonderful friends," she says.

No men wanted here...

It's not always women who get the raw end of the deal. Sometimes men do too.

Blue Box Leisure plans to open a "Coyote Bar" in Micklegate in which dancing barmaids will encourage punters to drink.

Only barmaids? What if a bloke wanted to audition?

No chance, snorts Blue Box spokesman Brad Hutchinson. Men can work behind the bar, but not as dancers.

Isn't that a bit sexist? No, says Brad. "The bar is based around the movie Coyote Ugly. Anyone who's seen that will understand. It's girl power, really. It is going to be female dominated. So we're not going to be inviting male dancers. That would be like the coal board inviting ladies to put in job applications."

Always assuming there were any coal jobs left to apply for.

Updated: 10:47 Thursday, April 14, 2005