History of the CWO
The first recorded Conservative Women's Conference was in 1921. However, the Conservative Women's Organisation itself was first founded in 1928 when it was called the Women's National Advisory Committee. By the early 1990's the CWO had more than a quarter of a million members and was the largest women's political organisation in the Western world.
It should not be forgotten that the first woman MP in the House of Commons was a Conservative as well as the first woman Prime Minister in the UK.
On the Conservative benches in the House of Commons women remain under-represented – the 2005 election returned only 17 women MPs - 9% of the Parliamentary Party. The CWO is dedicated to enabling more women to become elected as Members of Parliament.
The CWO pays tribute to all those women who, over the years, have played such an enormous part in contributing to and shaping the present day Conservative Party.