WOMEN IN POLITICS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 84, 6 October 1938, Page 22

WOMEN IN POLITICS

ADDRESS BY MRS. GILMER

"The Woman's Interest in Politics" was the subject of an address by Mrs. Knox Gilmer, Liberal candidate for Wellington North, to the Y.W.C'A. Business and Professional Women's Club recently.

Mrs. Gilmer said that of the three women candidates standing this election, she herself belonged to no existing party, and was contesting the seat as a Liberal. Women must realise that they constituted almost a 50 per cent, vote—and they had a great responsibility and sway politically. Howwould they act?

To stand for Parliament, a woman must be physically fit and mentally alert if she were to run the platform barrage and avoid being trapped by existing parties. She had to contend with every type of mind, and must be able to rise above the often unpleasant and noisy element shown towards women by both men and women.

A woman candidate must think aiid act constructively and not destructively. If she belonged to no existing party, she must take the things that appealed to her from the past and existing policies and formulate her own ideas and ideals from them and through her own individuality.;

The woman's vote was vitally important to every candidate, said Mrs. Gilmer. She begged them to think more about matters of interest to all women and children, for the 'betterment of New Zealand and so of the Empire.