N.Z. woman an Ambassador

Press, 8 March 1978, Page 6

N.Z. woman an Ambassador

NZPA Washington 11 Miss Barbara Angus,. named on Monday as New ; , Zealand’s Ambassador to the ! - Philippines, has pioneer , llstatus — the first woman l ij posted from Wellington to ' (head one of New Zealand's}! ’.overseas posts. But she willll > j not be the last. (I f; Miss Angus lists five otherh (women, like her, now filling • I:second slot in New Zealand’ l 1 (embassies: Miss Alison} Pearce (Rome), Alison Stokes 1 I ((Jakarta), Sheila Sharpley ' j'(New, Delhi), Priscilla!] Williams (Bangkok), Helen ji t■ Black (Apia) and several 1 -(others just slightly below in; “ithe diplomatic ranks. ei “I may be the first but l'i • feel fairly certain my ap- 1, tjpointmenf will be followed!] e soon by other women to our! ambassadorial posts,” said.' -iMiss Angus. “There are a < inumber of women now filtingji

I key positions in the Ministry; I of Foreign Affairs.” j Miss Angus believes the! growing role of women ini New Zealand’s foreign ser-i vice simply reflects ' worldwide trends in recent years towards equal rights" for women. But the department {has led the day in New Zealand's Public Service and i there are more women in i senior posts in Foreign Affairs than in any other (Government department. About 10 per cent of {Foreign Affairs staff are now I I women. They are on equal! {footing with men. ability be-i ling the only key to advance-j j ment. The frustrations that many! {women felt about bars to! 'their progress in foreign ser-i (vice a decade or two ago; ; probably accounts for the’ 'fact that Miss Angus is the! (only woman remaining in the! department who was on the jstaff in 1950. j