Women on committees

Although women had been members of ICAEW since 1920, it took another 41 years for a woman to be appointed to one of the ICAEW's standing committees. Margaret Hodge was the first, being on the Library Committee in 1965 and 1966. 

By the mid 1980s there were several women on multiple committees and some newer committees, such as Information Techonology, had a women member from inception. The first women to sit on more than one committee at a time was Mary Yale in 1979. Yale was also the first women to Chair a committee - the Internal Services Committee in 1983.

1965: Library Committee Margaret Hodge. Also 1966.

1969: Technical Advisory Committee Margaret Fox (London District Society represenative).

1970 Ann Dent ACA was co-opted on to the Articled Clerks Committee in June 1970 and was at the time the only woman serving on any of the ICAEW's committees. She was also immediate past-president of The Chartered Accountant Students' Society of London. (Reported in The Accountant 11 June 1970, p901)

1974: Education and Training Committee Stella Fearnley (co-opted). Also 1975.

1977: Education and Training Committee Mrs M. Greenwood (not an accountant?) (co-opted)

1978: Education and Training Committee Judi Giesler (ACA 1982) (co-opted). Also 1979.

1978: Education and Training Committee F. Harper (not an accountant?) (co-opted). Also 1979.

1979: Investigation Committee Mary Yale 

1979: Parliamentary and Law Committee Mary Yale. Also 1980,1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987.

1980: Examination Committee Jane Robinson

1980: Members' Education and Training Committee Jane Robinson. Also 1981.

1980: Students' Education and Training Committee Helen Pott (ACA 1982) (co-opted)

1980: Ethics Committee Mary Yale. Also 1981.

1980: Professional Standards Committee Patricia Triggs (co-opted). Also 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989.

1981: Examination Committee Jane Robinson

1981: Students' Education and Training Committee Jane Robinson

1981: District Societies Committee Gaynor Harris

1982: Internal Services Committee Mary Yale. Also 1982.

1982: Smaller Practitioner Advisory Committee Jane Robinson. Also 1984.

1982: Technical and Research Committee Gaynor Harris. Also 1983, 1984

1983: Internal Services Committee Mary Yale (Chair). Also 1984.

1983: Technical Advisory Committee Barbara Culverhouse

1984: Examinations Committee: Susan Gompels

1984: Student Education Advisory Committee Susan Gompels. Also 1985, 1987.

1984: Training Standards Committee Gaynor Harris. Also 1985, 1987.

1984: District Societies Committee Gaynor Harris. Also 1985 and 1986.
- Policy Development Sub Committee Gaynor Harris. Also 1985 and 1986.

1984: Ethics Committee Susan Gompels. Also 1986, 1987.

1985: Education and Training Directorate Committee Sylvia Masters. Also 1986.

1985: Examination Committee Susan Gompels (Vice Chair). Also 1986, 1987.

1985: Information Technology Group Committee Sheila Masters (Co-opted).Also 1986.

1985: Training Standards Committee D. Vickers (co-opted) (not an accountant?). Also 1986.

1985: Professional Standards Committee Mary Yale (Vice Chair).Also 1986, 1987, 1988.

1985: Professional Standards Committee Gaynor Harris. Also 1986, 1987.

1985: Parliamentary and Law Committee Barbara Culverhouse. Also 1986, 1987

1985: Technical Committee Gaynor Harris 

1986: Journals Committee Gaynor Harris. Also 1987, 1988.

1986:Examination Committee: Helen Rawlings (Co-opted) (ACA in 1987)

1986: Post-Qualification Committee Kathleen Fidgeon (Co-opted). Also 1987, 1988, 1989.

1986: District Societies Committee Jacqueline Dodds (Co-opted)

1986: Smaller Practitioners Committee Barbara Culverhouse

1986: Smaller Practitioners Committee Jacqueline Dodds (Co-opted). Also 1987, 1988. 

1986: Information Technology Group Committee Mary Yale. Also 1987.

1987: Training Standards Board C. Harrison (Co-opted) (Caroline, ACA 1987?)

1987: Training Standards Board C. Ryland (Co-opted) (Not an accountant?)

1987: Parliamentary and Law Committee: Sheila Masters

1987: Research Board: Sheila Masters

1987: Technical Committee: Sheila Masters

1988: Public Relations and Communications Committee Sheila Gompels. Also 1989.

1988: Post-Qualification Committee Cherry Pinniger (Co-opted). Also 1989, 1990.

1988: District Societies Committee Carole Johnson (Co-opted) (ACA 1989)

1988: Member Services Directorate Gaynor Harris. Also 1989, 1990.

1988: Parliamentary and Law Committee Gaynor Harris. Also 1989.

1988: Technical Committee Sheila Masters (Chair)

1988: Tax Committee  Mary Yale. Also 1989, 1990.

1989: Technical Directorate Mary Yale

1989: Parliamentary and Law Committee Sheila Masters (Vice-chair)

1989: Technical Advisory Committee Mary Yale (Chair) 

1990: Education and Training Directorate Sheila Masters 

1990: Student Education and Advisory Group Stella Fearnley

1990: Student Education and Advisory Group N Boyle (Co-opted) (Not an accountant?)

1990: Post Qualification Committee Sheila Masters (Chair)

1990: Practice Regulation Directorate Sheila Masters

1990: General Practitoner Board Jacqueline Dodds

1990: Professional Conduct Directorate Mary Yale

1990: Disciplinary Committee: Mary Yale

Although a direct comparison is not easy to make, as the number of committees and boards has vastly increased over the years and membership of committees is no longer publicly available. From the last list available to us it seems that there are around 289 different women on 62 committees and boards, including 16 chairs and 6 vice chairs. This does equate to roughly a third of all positions - female membership of the ICAEW is currently around 32%.

• Entries labelled 'Not an accountant?' means that the name could not be found in the List of Members, so is either not a qualified accountant, is an articled clerk or is also known by a different surname (i.e. maiden or married name).
• District Society Members of the Technical Committee ceased to be named by 1979.
• This information in the main comes from the ICAEW's List of Members, which was published until 2012. Committee membership is no longer publicly available.