Cr Kate Wilson, one of three women on the 15-member local authority, said yesterday she had not experienced sexism, although prejudice within the organisation reflected that in the wider Dunedin community.
The issue arose this week when Cr Fliss Butcher was overlooked for the role of council appointee on the advisory board of the University of Otago's centre for entrepreneurship council.
[comment caption=Is it still a man's world?]Cr Butcher said sexism was behind the decision, as she could not think of any other reason she had been overlooked.
She also noted two male Greater Dunedin councillors, Dave Cull and Chris Staynes, had been appointed deputy chairmen of committees after last year's election, but the female member of their group, Cr Kate Wilson, had not.
Council insiders yesterday said, because Cr Butcher was studying for a master's degree in entrepreneurship, a conflict of interest could have arisen had she been given the job.
Cr Wilson said she had not experienced sexism at the council, and there was a reason she had not been given a chairwoman or deputy chairwoman role.
Because she lived in Middlemarch, she had told Mr Chin the amount of travelling she had to do would make that difficult.
She took "some comfort" in being a director of a council-owned company, the Taieri Gorge Railway.
"I think we're all prejudiced to a certain extent. I'm not arrogant enough to say I'm not.
"I know I've got my own fair share of them [prejudices], but I try to work through them."
Asked if she thought there should be more women on the council, Cr Wilson said it was not about whether councillors were male or female, but the range of talents they had.
Anne Turvey is a former city councillor and St Kilda borough deputy mayor, who spent 21 years in local government, ending her stint in 1998.
Mrs Turvey said she did not experience sexism during that time even though she had thought she might.
"In all those years, the only thing I was ever judged on was my ability to do the job.
"As long as I could deliver, I think that's all that mattered."
Cr Teresa Stevenson could not be contacted yesterday.
