WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27466, 28 September 1954, Page 2

WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE

New Zealanders Found To Be Reticent MISS SALLY BUTLER’S VIEWS Women in Australia and New Zealand are more reticent about taking part in community affairs than they are in the United States; but even American women are not as effective as they should be in public life, according to Miss Sally Butler, who is on a special assignment for the United States State Department’s international education exchange service. Miss Butler, who is a qualified lawyer and is the legislative principal of Women’s Clubs of America and the immediate past-president of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, paid a short visit to Christchurch in the course of a tour of Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and parts of the East. “I think public affairs is everyone’s business, but women don’t pay enough attention to what is going on,” said Miss Butler, in an interview yesterday “The home is the keystone to democratic life wi*h the husband and wife,” she said. If a woman wanted to take up a career that was a private matter. Many women in the United States who had careers had raised families, while others had qualified hired help to look after their children and their homes. The percentage of women following careers in the United States was high, but not as high as in some other countries such as Finland and Italy, where there were more women in Parliament than, in other nations. “We want more women in the Senate and in the House of Representatives in the United States, but it is not easy for women to go ahead in politics,” Miss Butler said. Contrary to popular belief women need not lose their feminine qualities by assuming responsible positions in the opinion of Miss Butler. “A woman only becomes masculine when she tries to ape a man. No-one likes a masculine woman any more than an effeminate man,” she said. “By being herself a woman she can retain her femininity, and what the world needs is that women and men should remain as they are and work together as a team.” Though women in most countries had had the vote for many years they were not exercising their rights fully. In the case of public hygiene women could take more interest. “Take, for instance, the careless handling of food and its effect on the family. But what does she do about it?” Miss Butler asked. Reception Last Evening The responsibilities of women in the world today and how they can help to bring about world peace were outlined by Miss Butler at a reception given in her honour by the Christchurch Federated Business and Professional Women’s Club, in co-opera-tion with the Christchurch Business and Professional Women’s Club and the Soroptomists’ Club at Elizabeth House last evening.

The guests were received by Miss Kathleen Moore. The musical programme arranged by Mrs Hilda Reeve comprised songs by Mrs Kay Swallow and duets by Mrs Swallow and Mrs Hazel Colthart.

Miss Butler will leave by air this morning for Sydney. On her return to the United States Miss Butler will make a report of her observations to the American State Department’s international education exchange service and also speak to many women’s organisations.

“The United States Government considers that it is important that there should be a feeling of goodwill among the nations,’’ Miss Butler said. “We have great faith in our President (Mr Eisenhower), and also feel that Mr Foster Dulles is a capable man. We feel that why we Americans are often misjudged is because we are not sufficiently understood. We are not trying to push our way of thinking on others, but trying to gain as well as give.’’