Accounts of feminism among women local councillors in England

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the meanings of feminism among a politically active and engaged group—women elected to local government office in England. We draw on 35 face-to-face interviews with women local councillors to explore the complex ways in which they make sense of feminism and gender equality agendas. We find that, among councillors, feminism elicits strong feelings of support as well as animosity and that multiple understandings of what constitutes a ‘feminist belief system’ are evident. We examine a number of key themes in this paper: the centrality of individualistic discourses and the various understandings of the principle of equality of opportunity expressed by the councillors; the reluctance of many councillors to formally organise with other women; and an absence of politicised gender identities among most councillors. We also explore the presence of a ‘new’ feminist discourse among those councillors who try to connect their feminist identities with their political identities. Finally, we identify links between councillors' accounts of feminism and parallel debates on citizenship.