NZ contest opposed

Press, 2 September 1983, Page 7

NZ contest opposed

Holding the “Miss Universe” contest in New Zealand in 1984 would reverse work done during this year’s Women’s Decade towards recognising women as more than sex symbols, according to the National Organisation for Women in Christchurch. “To stage this lavish spectacle would be to advertise New Zealand at the expense of its women, and in particular its unemployed women,” said the organisation’s co-ordinator in Christchurch, Mrs Betty Roberts. The Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, had suggested recently that the present “Miss Universe,” Lorraine Downes, had done more for the country than any other young New Zealand women, she said.

“This indicates that the different values given to men and women and their achievements are still current and denigrates such women as Alison Roe, Neroli Fairhall, Ngaio Marsh, and Kiri Te Kanawa, for example.” Mrs Roberts said that the holding of such a festival would harm work already done to improve the status of women in the community. “When New Zealand is ready to have a beauty contest — and we mean beauty, not brawn — for ‘Mr Universe’ it would be more appropriate to have one for ‘Miss Universe,’ but even then not desirable,” she said.