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The Scottish Council of Women Citizen Associations was established in December 1919. The Council was elected annually and acted as the national executive arm of the women citizens associations which sprang up over Scotland after women were granted the vote in 1918. The associations were voluntary, non-political groups which aimed to develop women as citizens by increasing their perception of and participation in public affairs. In practice the associations have been very active in the fields of social welfare and reform, particularly as compaigners for women and children's rights. The National Council helped to co-ordinate the activities of individual associations by drawing up a programme of common concerns and their wide range of interests is reflected in the many resolutions and policy statements which appear in the minutes. The Council also organised an annual conference on particular themes. The subject of the 1920 conference, for example, was the care of mentally-handicapped children: £12,000 was eventually raised to build a special extension for retarded children at the Larbert Institute. Propaganda and discussion booklets and pamphlets were additionally published by the Council. It is expected that the Council will come to an end in 1990 but individual associations will continue to exist. |