COUNTRYWOMEN OF WORLD

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25737, 24 February 1949, Page 2

COUNTRYWOMEN OF WORLD

ADDRESS BY MISS E. ZIMMERN Miss E. Zimmern, formerly president of the Associated, Countrywomen of the World, who is touring New Zealand, addressed a combined meeting of Women’s Institutes and Women’s division of Federated Farmers at the National Club rooms yesterday. The Associated Countrywomen of the World. she said. numbered 5.000.000 and represented more than 90 big national organisations in 25 different countries. “Five million women can do much for the betterment of the world, if they work together,” said Miss Zimmern. who explained that the groups forming the associates —not an association —had different names in different countries and were free to accept or reject suggestions made by the executive committee at headquarters and still remain members of Associated Countrywomen. She outlined the growth of the movement which is now firmly established in many European countries, in Northern and Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland. and East Africa, in India and Ceylon, in America end Canada, Australia and even in Trinidad and St. Vincent Islands in the West Indies. During the years of war, Miss Zimmern explained, nine Governments, besides the British Government, had headquarters in London, and representatives of all those countries were invited to join the committee of Associated Countrywomen. In this way an international spirit was fostered and women of different nationalities learned to understand one another. All helped in drawing up the memorandum on reconstruction which suggested general principles for improving the feeding, housing, health and education of different countries. At the request of the British Government. women’s organisations were helping women in the British zone in Germany. Small groups of leading women in Germany were being brought to England to study the democratic way of life. The Government paid travelling expenses and women’s organisations provided accommodation for the visitors and arranged for them to inspect farms, schools, and factories and to learn about the activi ties of women’s groups. This scheme was working well and a small countrywomen’s association had already been formed in Germany. In the American zone also. German women were now being organised. Mentioning ways in which women in New Zealand could help to bring about unity in the world. Miss Zimmern suggested that they should extend friendship to assisted settlers, especially those from countries such as Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, which had suffered much in the war, that they should take an interest in current events and in international affairs, that they should all work together for peace and understanding amongst nations, and if possible send delegates to the big conferences of women. *

Mrs W. Deans presided at the meeting and thanked Miss Zimmern. who was welcomed by Mrs H. Prebble (representing women’s institutes) and Mrs A. Harper (representing the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers. Songs were sung by Mrs J. Owen, for whom Mrs Lewton played the accompaniments.