ABSTRACT
There have been two significant stages in the creation of national machineries for women within government in the United Kingdom. The first phase was in the 1960s and 1970s, when anti-discrimination and equal pay legislation was accompanied by the creation of the Equal Opportunities Commissions (EOC) in England, Scotland and Wales, and the UK-wide Women's National Commission (WNC). The second significant phase in the creation of the national machinery only came after the 1997 general election, when the new Labour government established a Minister for Women at Cabinet level, supported by a more junior Minister for Women and a Women's Unit (WU). The mainstream of UK politics, parties and government since the 1960s has been characterized by a reluctance to engage directly with gender issues. An active partner in the WNC, which provides a good example of how the organization can work with its members and how those members can work with the government, is the Women's Budget Group (WBG).
