A FEMALE social club secretary from York was today seeking to overturn a ban on women having associate membership at the UK's biggest network of working men's clubs.

Jackie Medley, 57, who is secretary of Bishopthorpe Social Club, lost a complaint of sex discrimination against the Club and Institute Union (CIU) last year, but has won leave to appeal at a tribunal in London.

She complained that the CIU was guilty of sex discrimination for denying her associate membership, which means she cannot go into other working men's clubs without being signed in as a guest and cannot stand for election to the local branch committee or national executive.

In addition, she cannot take part in CIU-sponsored activities such as darts and dominoes, even at her own club.

The CIU has a long-standing rule that women cannot be associate members, although there have been a number of attempts to change this position.

A two-thirds majority is needed at an annual conference to drop the 100-year-old rule.

A majority of 61 per cent voted in favour last year and the 66 per cent majority could be reached at this year's annual meeting next month.

The CIU maintained it was not in breach of the Sex Discrimination Act because private members' clubs were excluded from the legislation.

Updated: 10:41 Wednesday, March 10, 2004