Women’s contribution to society seldom recognised

Press, 16 June 1983, Page 12

Women’s contribution to society seldom recognised

Making it happen

A large turnout of women’s group leaders at the Decade Committee’s annual meeting on June 10, heard its chairwoman, Lady Hay, stress the importance of recognition for women’s often invisible contributions to society. Lady Hay drew attention to the Wellington-based Advisory Committee on Women’s Affairs taking up the Decade Committee’s call for voluntary work to be included in future census statistics.

Lady Hay called on several committee members to outline aspects of the committee’s work in which they had been most involved. “Our committee was conscientious and thoughtful in their concern for women and women’s needs in Christchurch and New Zealand. It has also become increasingly aware of United Nations’ developments affecting women,” said Lady Hay.

“As we conclude our eighth year, we can see some progress in the softening of attitudes, and. in awareness among women themselves of wider opportunities.

“The goals of the Decade will only be achieved when the women of the world wake up to their individual responsibilities.”

The Decade Committee’s greatest achievement during the past year has been the successful launching of a two-pronged educational programme for pre-release prisoners at the Christchurch Women’s Prison. The first section of the programme, practical skills, ran from March to May. It covered cooking, housekeeping, finance, health, body care, and sexuality. The planning sub-commit-tee was led by Mrs Glen Price, education officer with the Health Department, who is a Decade Committee member. The second section, on personal development and social skills, which has just got under way, is a 20session course.

It covers: communication; dealing with anger, selfesteem; relationships; leisure time; finding help in the community; and applying for jobs.

The reaction of inmates to the programme has been extremely favourable, according to Mrs Jessie Thompson, Prison Education Officer.

“The women have particularly appreciated being tutored in small groups, and are relating well to the tutors,” she told the meeting. The Travelling Road Show service which provides a list of speakers and groups willing to lead programmes or workshops is being well patronised, according to Lady Hay. An updated edition will be brought out later in the year. Guests were asked to recommend new speakers for the service, or to create new programmes. The Sex Role Stereotyping Project, now known as the Equal Opportunities Project was well taken up in the later half of 1982, with a brainstorming session attended by representatives from a wide range of organisations including Teachers’ College and the Human Rights Commission.

As 1983 is the ninetieth anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand, the Decade Committee will be upgrading its historical display for loan to schools and interested groups. N.C.W.

The N.C.W. Christchurch branch meeting in May was well attended, and members received an excellently presented 35 page annual report. This included reports from the eight sub-committees, and from N.C.W. representatives to 12 organisations. The branch president, Mrs Mary McGiven, reported on a most active year, with action taken on 28 matters of concern to members. These included legislation on the Motu River and water rights on the Waimakariri; lead in petrol; a recreation hall for Christchurch Women’s Prison; use of anaesthetists gl6oand private doctors at Christchurch Women’s Hospital; cutbacks in rebates for beneficiaries; a national programme of family enrichment for 1984; and the level of allowable income for beneficiaries.

Mrs McGiven specially commended members for their support for the Be Mobile bus.

“Thanks to the branch,

the Canterbury Paraplegic Association now has wheelchair transport in a van designed to carry five persons in wheelchairs. “It is also gratifying to report that two mini-buses equipped with wheelchair hoists and converted to transport 14 people came into service on April 5. The branch has organised a pool of over 100 people as voluntary helpers for this new service,” she said. Mrs McGiven spoke of the very great contribution made by the Christchurch branch to the National Council of Women, with three of the eight national standing committees being based in Christchurch. They are Immigration (convened by Mrs Grace Hollander), Health (convened by Mrs Nan Farrant), and Social Welfare, which Mrs McGiven herself convenes. Human Rights Commission

Pat Downey of the Human Rights Commission will be speaking to two lunchtime sessions to be held at the Stringleman Room, Public Library, on June 16. He will discuss the Human Rights Commission and how it works. A dialogue will be encouraged with the audience, and some video films relating to the commission’s work will also be shown. Times: noon to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your lunch; tea and coffee provided.

Early sex education

A historian Colin McGeorge will speak on early sex education at the annual meeting of the Christchurch branch of the Family Planning Association. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 22, in the Education Room, above the Montreal Street F.P.A. clinic. F.P.A. theatre The Family Planning Association has taken over the Court Theatre on July 13 for a double-bill performance of “Dirty Linen” by Tom Stoppard, and

“Oedipus.” Tickets ($12.00) can be purchased at the centre, 301 Montreal Street, or contact Naomi (Phone 327-386) or Lorraine (Phone 39-801). Awakening women The forthcoming regional conference of Soroptimists International of New Zealand South will be held at the Chervier Centre, Rangiora, from July 8 to 10. Its theme, “Advocacy: an asset in the community” will be discussed by the keynote speaker, Geoffrey Palmer, M.P., and will then be examined in depth by the 180 women attending. Groups will focus on policies that should be adopted on a national scale on a wide range of issues, and on what women should be doing about these concerns. “We sincerely hope that we will awaken women, not only in our own clubs, but in the wider public, to take more responsibility in the community,” says Eileen Mars, publicity officer for the region. About two-thirds of the Soroptimist South Island membership will be attending the conference, which is being hosted by the Rangiora/Kaiapoi District Soroptimist Club. 'Call me madam!’ This was the thought shared by women who attended a recent neighbourhood meeting with a police officer speaking on security precautions. He used “sir” when addressing the men, but “dear” for the women. Said one afterwards, “I felt like calling him “dear” right back, but I just couldn’t summon up the courage.” Quote Women have served all these centuries as looking - glasses, possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size.— Virginia Woolf. Items for consideration in Making It Happen should be addressed to Mrs J. Steincamp, Home and People Page, “The Press,” P.O. Box 1005, Christchurch.