Another seminar for Canterbury rural women

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 20

Another seminar for Canterbury rural women

Following the success of a Rural Women’s Seminar held in Rangiora last year, the North Canterbury branch of the National Council of Women has organised a function to launch a book called “Problems and Prospects for Women on Farms.” The book has arisen from the seminar and includes the texts of papers delivered in July, 1983, by farm advisers and farming women. It has been incorporated in a series called Studies in Rural Change, being published by the Department of Geography, University of Canterbury. The book has been edited by Mrs Mary Sparrow and Mrs Barbara Young and published with assistance from the Advisory Committee on Women’s Affairs. The launching of the book will be at a function in the Methodist Hall, 246 King Street, Rangiora, on Friday, March 9. It starts at 7.30 p.m. and the formal part, beginning at 8 p.m., will include a

guest speaker, Mrs A. D. Talbot, national president of the Women’s Division, Federated Farmers, and a review of the book and comments on the position of rural women from Mr Pita Alexander, a farm accountant, Mrs Heather Little, member of the NX Planning Council and Hurunui County councillor, and Mrs Joyce Mclver, president of the North Canterbury branch of the N.C.W. Invited guests include Mrs Dorothea Horsman, national president, N.C.W., Miss Colleen Dewe and Mrs Isla McFadden, Advisory Committee on Women’s Affairs, Mr Rob Gerard, M.A.F., Mr Fred Bull, president, North Canterbury Federated Farmers, Mr John Bayley, junior vicepresident, N.C.F.F., Mrs Betty Tyson, president, North Canterbury, W.D.F.F. The book will be available for purchase on the night. The shadow of the drought hung over proceedings in July 1983 and it shows in the essays presented in the book. Issues which affect ail rural women, such as male chauvinism, unremitting hard work, depression, social acceptability, and dis-

tance from goods and services recurred in the essays and the workshop sessions which followed. The strength of those who had overcome many, if not all of these problems, was also highlighted, particularly in the paper entitled, “A widow’s point of view,” from Mrs Pauline Hurley. But apart from the value of meeting others and sharing predicaments, many who attended the first seminar must have returned home with their burdens. Perhaps, like the climate, there is now more optimism among North Canterbury rural women. Mrs Mclver will speak next week on “Where do we go from here?”, subtitled, possible formation of the North Canterbury Rural Women’s Group.” Mr Pita Alexander, who did such a comprehensive and depressing job of outlining the shape of the rural economic disaster last July, might have found a light at the end of the tunnel. The success of the seminar last year and the publication of the book have provided a good platform from which to proceed positively to address the problems already outlined. — H.E.S.