Recession ‘hurts women most’

Press, 16 August 1978, Page 3

Recession ‘hurts women most’

PA Wellington Women are bearing the brunt of the economic recession, according to the [Women’s Electoral Lobby.

In a 44-page manifesto released yesterday, it said that the most obvious example was in unemployment. “While official figures show a lost job total of [close to 50,000, it is believed that at least another 50,000

women have been put out of work with no hope of reemployment,” W.E.L. said.

The effects of inflation and reduced real incomes were being felt most in household budgeting the lobby said. Families, encouraged into two-income status when it suited the economic conditions, were being left with commitments they could no longer meet, such as mortgage repayments. The manifesto urged policy changes in child care, education, employment, health, the law, social welfare and town planning.

It said that women were more than 50 per cent of the population and what women did, thought, felt and said was important.

The manifesto recommended two main grounds for, judging which relationships < were genuine de facto marriages.

They were: One genuine shared address, and the couple should be seen as a married or de facto couple by relatives and friends whose names were given by the people concerned. It said that in the event of doubt in determining the existence of a de facto marriage. a Social Welfare beneficiary should be given the benefit of the doubt and the situation reviewed after three months. W.E.L. called for the removal of all legal and social discrimination against consenting homosexuals, aged

[l6 and over: “The State has ■no duty to control what is [essentially a private matter.”

I No forms of sexual expression adopted in private I between consenting persons 16 years and over should be illegal, W.E.L. said. On abortion and contraception. W.E.L. affirmed its view that the decision as to whether to have an abortion or not should be the responsibility of the pregnant woman herself.

Abortions should be freely available in New Zealand, provided that all were performed under proper medical supervision and adequate counselling services were available if requested, it said. The manifesto urged the

Government to institute a national programme to inform the public on contraception and familj' planning and said that all contraceptives should be provided free of charge.

Described in the introduction as a “declaration of opinions,” the manifesto is being sent to the almost 400 political candidates in this year’s General Election, as well as to district law societies and women’s organisations.

The manifesto, designed to inform election candidates and the public on issues which W.E.L. considers vital, will also be available as a guide to assess candidates’ attitudes.