THE SOLIDARITY OF WOMEN

Ladies' Mirror, Volume I, Issue 6, 1 December 1922, Page 5

THE SOLIDARITY OF WOMEN

The National Councils Y What T hey Are

IN the beginning of the last century it was a fearsome thing for a woman to step out of her sheltered, well-curtained home, and take part in a woman’s meeting. To be a “woman’s rights” advocate was not considered respectable, still, here and there were women with convictions strong enough to brave public opinion in trying to organise other women, and to stir them up to take a hand in doing some spring-cleaning outside their own homes. It was a big thing for those gentle, meek little ladies to do.

They had magnificent courage, and it was owing to their quiet well-thought-out efforts that the women of all Christian nations are now linked together in that great organisation known as the International Council of women, under the headship of leaders noted for their tolerance, their wide sympathy and their infinite love for humanity. How did it come about? Here is the story. In a few months it will be just threequarters of a century since a little company of women met in a room at Seneca Falls, in the State of New York.

You can picture that gathering. There was nothing masculine in the appearance of these pioneers. In their big coal-scuttle bonnets. their meekly falling ringlets framing gentle faces, their wide, closely-gathered skirts just clearing the ground, they were, outwardly at any rate, the very antipodes of the short-skirted feminine athlete of to-day. But they were made of fine and fearless stuff, and they prepared the way wisely and well, with the result that their great-grandchildren have now entered the land of promise which their clear old eyes saw so plainly from afar off. They ere very modest in their demands, —those quaint little ladies. All they asked of Congress was educational, industrial, professional, political, and financial independence for themselves THAT was the first woman’s suffrage meeting. The year was 1848— occasion a historic one. At that moment was laid the foundation of an organisation which should represent many millions of women then unborn. Followed much educative work. It took courage to come forward in those days. But brave hearted standard-bearers were not wanting. Suffrage societies were formed in many states, a few also in Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia. The chief labour was in overcoming the lethargy of the great mass of comfortably placed women who neither knew nor cared if their less favoured sisters laboured under removable hardships. And so the years passed. Then, when celebrating the fortieth anniversary, of that first Suffrage Meeting, a great idea was born in the brains of one or two leading women. The objectives of that first meeting had been practically gained—in the United States, at least. Five years were still to elapse in New Zealand before Mrs. K. W. Sheppard’s splendid efforts to obtain the Women’s Franchise were rewarded with

success by the Hall Government, but the result was already a foregone conclusion. The principle was everywhere conceded. It only remained to bring it into the sphere of practical politics, and it took twentyeight years longer and a fine record of war work to win the Franchise for the women of Great Britain. BUT to go back to the year 1888 and that fortieth anniversary. At first the celebration was meant simply to bind up

the many Suffrage Societies then in existence. The women pre-eminent in the woman movement were Miss Susan B. Anthony and Mrs. Wright Sewall, and to them is owing a debt of gratitude from all women. Miss Anthony summoned the meeting as an International Council of Women in Washington.

I\/TRS. Sewall had a vision of a per--ITA manent I.C.W. She wished to organise National Councils of Women. She wanted a movement of permanence, but a growing one also. To her came the idea of crystallising the results of that grand gathering into permanent organisations on the broadest possible basis for the uplifting of humanity. But to do so took time, and an infinite amount of labour to arrange, as well as imagination. . Elected first president of the National Council of Women of the United States of America, Mrs. Sewall took upon herself the task of making her dream a reality. During the five years which followed, she was in Europe, holding meetings, lecturing and organising, and by her vigorous and outstanding personality persuading women from many countries to attend the Chicago Congress in 1893. It had been very difficult to break down the forts of conservatism and prejudice, but here at last began the real existence of the I.C.W. What had preceded was merely preparatory and educative. With the election of the Marchioness of Aberdeen as president of the Chicago meeting the I.C.W. entered upon a new era. Her breadth of view, her large sympathy and splendid practical womanliness have for nearly thirty years directed the proceedings of the International Council, and have made it the great Mother of , all the National Councils. The I.C.W. has now thirty countries closely connected with it, and these represent some thirty millions of women.

Has the International Council a Mission?

JT has a missiona great and worthy one. In her presidential address at the Quinquennial Congress held two years ago in Christiania. Lady Aberdeen briefly outlined its aims and ideals. Taking the Golden Rule as its motto, it desires to see it applied to Society, Custom, and Law. Service to humanity is its watchword. Throughout the world, by means of its National Councils, it upholds the principles of peace and arbitration between nations, and by meeting together and discussing matters of common vital interest, it aims' at breaking down distrust and misunderstanding between nation and nation. In this it long ago foreshadowed the League of Nations, and by its dissemination of right principles and high ideals it made the League of Nations possible to-day. No one can read the text of that memorable speech without a thrill. “The hour is come,” she said, “when to us is committed the future of the world's history. Let us make no mistake. Are we to allow tradition and custom, and the old octopus of private greed and selfish nationalism to enchain us with their manacles under the specious arguments that human nature is human nature, that in the end after all might does prevail, that in all phases of our commercial, industrial, and national life the fittest must survive, and that it is only by the ordeal of struggle and war that the fittest are discovered and become triumphant for the ultimate good of all ? If so, our opportunity will be gone.” Lady Aberdeen sees in the present day turmoil and unrest, in the striving and searching and craving after a better world, the call of the peoples to be “mothered” afresh. In this hour of its greatest need, the organised women of the world have a great mission—to guide and soothe and mother the sick nations, and to restore their lost faith.

'THERE are now thirty countries representing some thirty millions of women united in the International

Council through their National Councils. Each National Council consists of branches within the country, and to each branch again arc affiliated women’s societies of various kinds. These societies have a perfectly free hand, they are subjected to no propaganda. All they receive from the Council is sympathy and suggestion. It simply unites all organised societies of women for mutual counsel and co-operation, and for the attainment of justice and freedom for women, and for all that makes for the good of humanity. Here is an example of women’s co-operation. When America entered the war in 1917-18 many large women’s organisations offered their services to the Government. For a time it was puzzled how to utilise this wonderful new force in the best way. They finally appointed a Woman’s War Board to consider and operate the women’s defence work of the nation. And the work was well and thoroughly done. Another example is to be found in the work of the Red Cross League at the close of the war. The International Council directed that instead of disbanding, it should retain its organised form and concentrate in fighting the typhus epidemic raging in Eastern Europe. This was done—quietly and unostentatiously—but with signal success. And it was the International Council of Women, led by Lady Aberdeen, that organised the delegation of women to the League of Nations Commission, and secured the inclusion of the article in the Covenant providing that all positions under or in connection with the League of Nations, including the Secretariat, should be open to men and women equally.

The National Council of Women of New Zealand

AMONG ourselves we can watch the quiet work that is being done in our own National Council, which has now six branches, those of Auckland, Gisborne, Hamilton, Wellington. Christchurch and Dunedin. Affiliated to these are some seventy women’s organisations in all parts of the Dominion. At the Annual Conference held a few weeks ago in Christchurch, Miss Melville, in her able presidential address, impressed upon her hearers her Council’s belief that the only ideal form of government consists of cooperation between men and women. She pointed out that women are to-day taking their part in the making of laws in thirteen countries, and in none of these countries was there any sign that their help was not required. They had made good every time. The chief business before the Council was concerned with Social Hygiene and the Children’s Charter. This last, comprising every aspect of the education and instruction of young people has been sent to all National Councils for consideration and discussion. Then when each Council has adapted it to the needs of its own country, it is to be sent back to the I.C.W. for endorsement in its final form. It will then be transmitted to the League of Nations. Although in the Dominion we are but a little group of women, we are keeping step with the women of older countries, and are in constant and close communication with the International Council of Women, of which Lady Aberdeen still remains the president. And it certainly was greatly to our satisfaction to discover on going tnrough the Children’s Charter that nearly every one of its clauses has already been adopted and carried out in our far way little New Zealand. But much remains to be done. Prominent: on the programme of the International Council are such matters as The Promotion of Peace and Universal Support of the League of Nations, Public Health and Hygiene, and the Children’s Charter.