Private members' clubs to be banned from treating women as 'second class citizens'

Private members' clubs will be banned from treating women as 'second- class citizens' under new laws.

Equalities minister Harriet Harman wants to make it illegal for golf clubs and working men's clubs to restrict women's access or deny them the right to vote as full members.

Only half the 2,500 working men's clubs give women full membership rights while some golf clubs stop them playing at the weekend, restrict access to the course or bar them from the running of the club.

The plans are sure to face opposition from club owners  -  and even equalities groups say the proposals could distract from their key aim of equal pay.

The announcement was made in the Commons yesterday by deputy Labour leader Miss Harman, who has been dubbed Harriet Harperson for her feminist views.

She said it is only fair that existing laws banning clubs from discriminating on the grounds of race, disability and sexual orientation should be extended to include women. The changes will be contained in an Equalities Bill to be published in the coming weeks.

She said: 'Later this month, I hope to be able to set out to the House what the Bill's provisions are.

'But I can say that the Bill will ensure that clubs that offer membership to both women and men will no longer be able to discriminate against women. They will have to treat men and women equally.'

However, the new measures will not affect single- sex clubs such as the Women's Institute.

They will only affect mixed-sex clubs where women have lower membership status than men. The Equality Bill is also expected to give women the right to breastfeed in public places. While the contents of the Bill are yet to be confirmed, ministers have also suggested forcing businesses to conduct 'pay audits'  -  reviewing salaries to ensure men are not paid more than female colleagues.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: 'Where there is mixed membership we believe all should be treated equally, and that women should not be second class citizens.'

Katherine Rake, director of women's equality campaigners the Fawcett Society, said: 'That sort of discrimination has no place in modern-day society, so we welcome this.

'But we hope the Bill also includes measures to ensure men and women are on equal pay.

'But if this legislation does nothing more than allow women golfers to play at certain times, it won't do much to improve equality for the vast majority of women.'

The Conservative spokesman for women, Theresa May, said: 'Having campaigned on this issue for some time, I welcome the fact that the Government has decided to include this in the Equality Bill. However I'm disappointed that it is taking them so long to bring the Equality Bill forward.'