Call for women in civil defence

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33625, 29 August 1974, Page 12

Call for women in civil defence

There is a need for women in the Civil Defence organisation, said the Minister of Civil Defence (Mr McGuigan), when he addressed 50 volunteer civil defence wardens at Lincoln College yesterday.

He was particularly impressed with the potential that remained untapped among women in New Zealand communities.

“They have a greater role than welfare,” Mr McGuigan said. "They know the neighbourhoods much better than men because they are home all day. They know their neighbours and the elderly folk who live there. “They have considerable skills which the Civil Defence organisation can make use of,” he said.

The Government was working on ways of educating more and more women into the controlling areas of the organisation. “I believe, also, that industry has a greater role to play than at present—industry and our schools are where we must look for greater support, today and for the future, for civil defence,” Mr McGuigan said. “The Ministry for its part will assist as fully as possible in the necessary training activities.

“I am certain that without a strong, well-prepared volunteer force, civil defence in New Zealand would be at a loss to function adequately when the pressure really goes on. "Frankly, we have not enough people to operate the system as we would expect it to in an emergency. “If we knew that all our disasters would be little ones, no doubt we would organise differently; but the fact is, we do not know when the big one will occur—or more important, where,” Mr McGuigan said. However, he felt that the organisation at present would be able to cope, and that the structure was suited to New Zealand conditions. “Nevertheless, there remains a sizeable lack of interest among many people in civil defence — an unawareness even of its vital importance,” said Mr McGuigan. Two measures had recently been adopted to help overcome the problem of insufficient public interest —an improved subsidy scheme to include publicity at local level, and the introduction of training in schools. “We still require more persons actively participating so that the load may be more widely shared,” Mr McGuigan said. The wardens attending the course, which ends today, represent South Island local authorities from Motueka to Wallace County.