Federation Wants Equality Inquiry

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32392, 3 September 1970, Page 2

Federation Wants Equality Inquiry

The New Zealand Federation of University Women will ask the Minister of Labour (Mr Marshall) to set up, as soon as possible, a commission of inquiry into the implementation of equal pay and opportunity for all women in New Zealand, so that the 1.L.0. Convention may be ratified by the New Zealand Government. This was decided at the fedoration’s conference yesterday on the recommendation of the Otago branch. The federation believes that all international conventions aimed at protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms should be ratified by the Government.

“We are supporting the National Council of Women in bringing forward this remit,” the proposer, Miss I, A. Benbow. of Dunedin, said. Women in New Zealand had been equated with the Neg-

roes in the United States and it had also been said that women ranked third as citizens after men and Maoris she added.

The federation put the emphasis on equal opportunity rather than equal pay for equal work. And it wanted to encourage women to take full advantage of opportunities, she said.

A seminar on the social and economic aspect of equal pay and possible methods of introducing the principle into the rest of the New Zealand economy will be held in Wellington next month. Mrs M. Ferner said in her report on the Council for Equal Pay and Opportunity. Mrs Ferner said she hoped branches and the federation would be well represented. This seminar would he watched to see if women really supported it another delegate said.