Women Can Talk And Plan At International Meetings

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30562, 3 October 1964, Page 2

Women Can Talk And Plan At International Meetings

“One of the big things about international women’s meetings is that women can talk together without getting involved in the troubles of their governments. They can sit round a table and just plan; they don’t talk war,” said Miss Elizabeth ten Bruggen Cate, treasurer of the International Council of Women, in Christchurch yesterday.

Speaking at a luncheon held in her honour by the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women, Miss ten Bruggen Cate said women concentrated on problems affecting women, and grew to understand each other. “Women from Arabia and Israel, women from India and Pakistan got along, very well together at the International Council’s conference in Washington last year,” she said. Women’s Views Sometimes only men’s opinions of the world were given to international conferences of such organisations as U.N.E.S.C.O. and the Food and Agricultural Organisation, but women of the I.C.W. could bring the views of women to the discussion, she said. “If a country has a problem, the help of women is needed,” she added. When a non-governmental organisation launched a project in a developing country —introducing a child health plan in a village, for instance. —women’s teams were the ones which could get on more easily with the village women in talking about children. “Twinning” The I.C.W.’s project for “twinning” countries could be

a great help in international understanding, she said. Under this scheme one country from the Western world and one from the East would study each other’s problems closely and try to become closer together in friendship. . As an example of what could be done between countries in this way. Miss ten Bruggen Cate said that Denmark was now helping Nigeria with an educational programme. Using Ability Women of the “older” countries should help women of the new countries find their way and make use of their rights, she said. Miss ten Bruggen Cate said the I.C.W. was trying tb help women make full use of their abii'ties.

“Too many women in the world vote the way their husbands tell them.” she added. “A woman who has a job she likes, such as teaching, may be asked to become a principal of a school, but she will turn it down because she is happy in her job and will not take on the extra responsibility of being in charge. “We must teach women to take more difficult responsibilities even if they don't want them.” said Miss ten Bruggen Cate. Welcoming Miss ten Bruggen Cate, the president of the Christchurch branch of the National. Council of women (Miss M. E. Saunders) said the branch did not often have a visit from an international officer. .. Because of her visit. Miss ten Bruggen Cate made the international council seem more real. She presented the guest of honour with a book on New Zealand.

Thanking the speaker, Miss M. G. Havelaar said New Zealand no longer stood alone, it was part of a big world. Women, who had so many more advantages now than in the past, could do much more to help. Privilege brought responsibility. “Because we do not realise the problems in the lives of individuals in other countries, we have, perhaps, not given all the help we could. You,

Miss ten Bruggen Cate, have given us a new vision,” Miss Havelaar said.