N.Z. Women Inactive In Civic Life

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31081, 9 June 1966, Page 2

N.Z. Women Inactive In Civic Life

“Each time I come back to New Zealand after attending an International Council of Women conference I wonder why so few women in New Zealand are active on civic bodies,” said Mrs Doreen Grant, president of the New Zealand National Council of Women, who represented New Zealand at the recent I.C.W. conference in Teheran.

“I am always very impressed by the number of qualified women doctors, lawyers, judges, magistrates, teachers—who attend conferences as delegates and by the contribution they make.

“Is there something wrong with the community here or Is it male discrimination that prevents women from putting themselves forward? Or is it the women themselves who lack the confidence? “In Finland, which was the second country in the world to give women the vote, 33 members of Parliament of 200 are women—the highest percentage of any country. “I told the conference I was ashamed to say how many we have,” said Mrs

Grant, who Is a secondary school teacher. “I am not a feminist, but I think that it is necessary to have the informed and intelligent participation of women in public affairs to allow the country to develop its full potential.” It was often said that women were trying to Invade men's fields. Instead, Mrs

Grant feels that women were offering their friendly and frank collaboration to serve the common cause—the wellbeing of the family and the nation; the well-being of the nation was the responsibility of both men and women. “I think it is one of the most important jobs of any nation that it build up the character of its young people —a character that should be honest, dean, and incorruptable,” said Mrs Grant. “We in the I.C.W. no longer

speak of women’s rights but instead of human rights. Equality does not mean similarity. It has been stated that people must rid themselves of the fallacy of the weaker sex whose place is in the home,” she said. ■Women should have the free choice of working in the home or out of the home and the choice of full or part-time work. The time a woman devoted to her family depended on quality not quantity. A working mother could be a better mother.

Ail delegates agreed that both parents, not just the mother, were jointly responsible for the family. However, if the mother worked she should have someone to take care of the children while she was away.

In the developing countries there was still a large reserve of uneducated girls or grandmothers who could care for the children. This was not so in New ZeaTand.

Mrs Grant firmly believes that while children are young the mother should remain at home to care for them.