Council on the Status of Women

The first predecessor of the present-day council was the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women, established in 1963 by executive order of Governor Terry Sanford. The commission was one of several programs created during Sanford's administration to examine how the State's resources were being used, and to provide recommendation on how these resources could be better invested in the improvement of individual, family, and social welfare. The Commission on the Status of Women was charged with reviewing and recommending changes in several areas where women were likely to suffer discrimination, including but not limited to, state labor laws, employment policies and practices, educational policies, and legal rights.

In 1965, the General Assembly made the commission a permanent state agency. The purpose of the new commission involved advising the governor and various state agencies on the special needs of women in North Carolina. In 1975 the legislature transferred the commission to the Department of Administration (DOA) for administrative purposes and renamed it the Council on the Status of Women. Subsequently, the council began to emerge in its current form, as a catalyst for improving the status of women and as an agent in identifying needs and establishing programs, workshops, and other information sharing events for women throughout the state.

This digital collection contains agendas, reports, correspondence, and publications from organizations in and out of the state related to the council’s goals.

This site is currently under development. We will be reviewing and making corrections and updates on an ongoing basis. If you find any errors, please send them to archives@dncr.nc.gov or statelibrary@dncr.nc.gov .