WOMEN'S CONDITIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1938, Page 16

WOMEN'S CONDITIONS.

ADDRESS BY VISITOR. EQUALITY OF STATUS. The United Women's Association, a new organisation which lia«s lieen formed iu Auckland during tiie past month, held a reception in the Milne and Clioyce reception hall yesterday afternoon in honour of .Mrs. Jessie Street, of Australia. who passed through Auckland in the Mariposa' yesterday on her return from Geneva. * This association, which has as its objects the betterment of women's conditions. intends to foster the legal status of mothers, to promote/the welfare lit' children, and to take an active interest in women's problems, with particular emphasis on statiis and opportunity. These aims were outlined by Mis. St. Clair Woolla in*. who said that the association would be political but noil -jui rty. An interesting address was given by Mrs. Street, who pointed out the need! lor the existence of feminist organisations. Mrs. Street stated that the laws | of some countries were made hundreds of years ago and reflected a point of view which was not iu keeping with modern times. Many years ago. she said, the ideas about women were that they were rather an inferior and poor type of human being compared .with men. 'I he biisinc-s of feminist organisations in all countries, she said, was to examine the laws and conditions under which the people lived, and see in what way those laws contained any discriminations against women just on account of their sex. I he feminist movement, she continued, had for its object the elimination (,( sc\ discrimination iu laws and regulations. 1 licsc organisations existed in almost every civilised country in the world, one of the first to be formed being the International ('ouncil ot Women, continued Mrs. Street. Another was the International Alliance ot Women to which were affiliated societies which had feminist work as their main object. 1 hiring > t lie last ten years two other organisations hail become established, one being the Open Door International, which concerned itself successfully with the woman as a wageearner. The other was the Kijtial Hights International, which aimed at bringing the Equal Hights I reaty before every woman and every Parliament in every coiintrv, and before the League of Nations Assembly. The question of the status of women was put oil the agenda of the League of Nations and the reports on the subject prepared by every Government. were now in the hands of a special committee of experts appointed by the League. Other objects of these feminist organisations. said All's. Street, were the improvement ot divorce laws, the improvement of moral standards, the obtaining of the vote for women in those countries which had not already got the franchise and the obtaining of nationality rights. A vote of thanks to the speaker was moved by Airs. Kenneth Cordon, and a bouquet was handed to Airs. Street by the honorary organiser-secretary. All's.! P. Heath Prcesf. Songs were given bv ' Airs. Cordon Nicholson, violin solos bv ' Air. O Carroll, and pianoforte items bv Aliss O'Carroll.