Women have always been the driving force behind most radical movements. The anti-war movement has always been dominated by female activists and during the period of the 1960s and 70s females were the driving force of many radical groups. Examples such as the anti-Vietnam War movement, the civil rights movement in southern US, anti-establishment groups such as the Weather underground, FLN, Barder-Mienoff,  and the Black Panthers, and there are many others, all had women members who played critical roles in the policy decision, planning, and carrying out of actions, some of which were highly illegal.  As for unions, even when the membership is mostly male, Cole miners come to mind, union meetings are frequently dominated by the wife's of the workers who in general speak up more at meetings and are generally more articulate around matters of house hold finances and child rearing in relation to the issues of employee benefits. Where would the NDP be if it wasn't for its female leaders.