President’s Party For U.N. Women

Press, Volume C, Issue 29702, 21 December 1961, Page 2

President’s Party For U.N. Women

(By SUSAN VAUGHAN! President Kennedy gave a remarkable party for women last week. He invited about 50 of them, all members of United Nations delegations, to come to see him at the -White House in Washington. They were feted like queens, their words were listened to with marked respect.

Who are these women who are having an increasing influence on the world s affairs? Understandably, they have formidable talents. Mrs Marguerite Stitt Church, an American, of 69. is a former psychologist and

Congresswoman. Begum Sheereen Aziz Ahmed, of Pakistan, a mother of four, is a musician and an author. Mrs Hazami Fekim. of Libya, is an authority on oriental languages.

Many of the women achieved high office in their own countries before coming to the United Nations. Barbara Salt, aged 57, is the senior woman in Britain's Foreign Service. Miss Judith Imru, of Ethiopia, is a Junior Minister, as is Miss Angie Brooks, of Liberia. Jean Casselman, of Canada, aged 41, a widowed mother of two, is a member of Parliament. The top-ranking woman at the United Nations is Mrs Golds Meir. Israeli Foreign Minister, who the other day made an important speech about disarmament. Mrs Agda Rossel, of Sweden, aged 50. was the first woman to become heed of a United Nations delegation. Mrs Rossel had to leave school after only two years' education to look after a family of seven when her mother became ill. One of the prettiest delegates is Miss Bhinda Malta, of Nepal, and the one with the oddest spare-time activity is Lady Tweedsmuir. of Britain. who likes deerstalking. There are 49 women from 37 nations—an impressive figure when you remember that at the first session 15 years ago there were only eight women present. However, the women have a long way to go: men still outnumber them by 20 to one.