SYDNEYSIDE WITH JANET PARR Women’s affairs adviser

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34126, 12 April 1976, Page 6

SYDNEYSIDE WITH JANET PARR Women’s affairs adviser

It is nearly half a year since Elizabeth Reid left her job as adviser on women’s affairs to the former Prime Minister (Mr Whitlam) in what might be called a bonfire of publicity.

I One could hardly drag up another cliche and say that iMs Reid then shook the dust lof Canberra, and Australia, from her feet about as fast I as she could. She had worked among so much controversy, .almost constantly at simmering point among some of the women she represented, that I little dust had had time to settle. With speaking engage- , ments to fulfil and invitations I elsewhere, she headed first for America, and was last rel ported to be in Iraq. Since then the chair that she left — theoretically, for I she never sat in it — has (been standing empty waiting 'for someone else to fill it. Ms Reid was offered the job of head of a new Women’s [Affairs Branch to be set up, | within the Prime Minister’s 'Department. She resigned be-1 cause the new job would not| give her the direct access to the Prime Minister that the. old one had done. I The chair has been empty for a long time all through the controversial turn of events that saw the Whitlam. Government dismissed and a (Liberal Country Party coali-! tion eventually elected.

The $22,700 a year appoint,ment has finally gone to i Sarah Dowse who, in the offiicial announcement, was des--1 cribed as one of the Prime Minister’s senior advisers. It is one of the few things (that have been said publicly .about Sarah Dowse. Even her appointment seems to have

jbeen barely reported and ini I such scanty reports as there have been her name has never been used with a pre-1 fix. Miss, Mrs, or Ms. But she is apparently car-| tying over from the former' women’s section where she worked as head under Eliz-i abeth Reid, hard and effectively it seems, but very much I out of the public eye. I Her work has impressed colleagues and people involved in women’s issues but little else seems to be known about her, or her background. “ANONYMITY” And she is being neither interviewed nor photographed, although it has been suggested that this is as much from official direction as perisonal inclination. I While this anonymity has been described as unfortunate in that it robs the women for whom she will be working iof a chance to get to know her better — and robs Sarah I Dowse herself of a chance to communicate her aims and ideas for the job to women | generally — it seems likely to | stay. | More is known about the (job she will be doing. It raises her to assistant- . secretary level and puts her in the ranks of top Public I Service advisers. There are few women among them. It also establishes the new branch on a much firmer basis with a broad role to advise the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) on policies concerning women; to communicate on women’s issues with Government departments, authorities, and 'women in the community; and to look generally at i Government policies and 'programmes affecting I women.

‘ Sarah Dowse will not have the relationship with Mr Fraser that Elizabeth i Reid had with Mr Whitlam. ( !Mr Fraser did not make the appointment. She was se- . lected by Public Service

[Board selection procedures (from 100 applicants, three of whom were men.

I This is seen as making it clear that the appointment is Ito be regarded as a Public ' Service one, that Sarah Dowse will lead a team effort. Any attempt to tag her as “Mai’s supergirl” — and there have already been some — will be most decidedly unpopular.