Feminism liberating men?

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 6

Feminism liberating men?

Certain sections of the community still see' feminism as a “selfish” movement, or believe that women wish to change roles with men.; says Mrs Joan Rother- ; ham, retiring president; of the Christchurch branch of the National Organisation for; Women, in her annual: report. “However," she says, “many people are coming to see that the basic aim of feminism is that men and women will lead happier lives and that feminism has; to some extent become a matter of liberating men. N.O.W. believes firmly that' male-female equality is a: goal from which the whole of society will benefit.”

During the last year, there: has been some advance in I breaking down the rigidity: of male and female sex roles, says Mrs Rotherham. “We have seen a man appointed matron of a geriatric hospital and men beginning to train as kindergarten teachers. We now have a woman medical superintendent at Burwood Hospital and a woman on the Price: Tribunal. However, in England and New Zealand, men still cannot be midwives.’' The Government has taken: the first step in assisting day care centres — N.O.W. has long supported day care centres — by giving grants .to welfare groups which provide day care for preschool children of parents who cannot afford to meet the cost involved. The publication of the survey by- the Society for Re-1 search on Women on em-i plovers’ attitudes has drawn: public attention to the diffi-1 culties faced by women in [ gaining responsible jobs and promotion, and the establishment of the Select Committee on Women’s Rights , shows that women are beginning to be recognised as a pressure group, according to Mrs Rotherham. “I think feminism had a i boost in September, 1973,

with the holding of the United Women's Convention. Feminists are no longer seen as a handful of student agitators but as a_ cross-sec-

■ tion of society; older women and young women, single : women and married women, : housewives and employed women, and men as well.”