The working group has completed it's task and submitted a report and recommendations to the Central Council for Church Bellringers.   This website is minimally maintained as an archive and a benchmark to measure future progress.


 

Not worried by bias

I learnt to ring at University with a good band and though taught mainly by men, had plenty of females around. I cannot recall ever being told a bell was too heavy for me - we were all encouraged to ring all the bells. I didn't call much, despite being encouraged to do so, as I didn't enjoy it much. When I continued ringing long after after University the band I joined was mostly male, but very encouraging. I have rung there for over 35 years, during which time we have had five Tower Captains, two female. I was one of them.

Although some towers I have visited have exhibited some of the gender bias described in other stories, I seem to have been lucky in not being intimidated. Having started to learn to conduct recently I have had nothing but encouragement. Maybe it is because I was a Civil Engineer at a time when there were few of us around I am used to working in a predominately male environment and usually gender bias passes me by.