All women work, says Mrs Hercus

Press, 5 November 1984, Page 2

All women work, says Mrs Hercus

Every woman should have the right to fulfil her potential in the way she chooses, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Mrs Ann Hercus, told a group of 800 in Christchurch on Saturday. Mrs Hercus was opening the Canterbury Women’s Open Forum, one of at least 21 being held throughout New Zealand. The Government did not accept that women should be relegated to low-status, low-paid occupations with little prospect for getting ahead, she said. Women' should not be disadvantaged because they chose to stay at home or to work in the community rather than in the paid workforce. “All women work,” she said. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs had a clear goal to achieve the economic and social conditions for equality of men and women in New Zealand, said Mrs Hercus. This was an enormous task and needed the support of women. “Women must work for their own equality — if we don’t, who will?” she said. The Ministry’s resources were relatively small at this stage but would be effectively targeted, she said. . Many things the Ministry could do would not cost much. . It did not cost much to keep a close eye oh Government actions to see that the interests of women were taken into account. It did not cost much to see that children were taught in a non-sexist way at school, to see that women were given greater opportunities in the workplace and had the chance to enter non-traditional .occupations, and to see that they were treated equally: in recruitment, training;.’ and promotion.

This was the basis of the affirmative action programme in employment, said Mrs Hercus. The Ministry would act and pave the way for others to act — other Government departments, employers, and community groups. But the question of the order in which the Ministry should take up these tasks was one for women at the forum to discuss. The Government was determined that women would be beard and have a real voice in charting the future direction of the nation. Forums were not something to be done today and forgotten tomorrow. “This sort of consultation and participation will continue,” Mrs Hercus said. As well as holding regular huis, at least once a year, where issues could be raised in an open and constructive way, staff of the Ministry would spend a lot of time visiting different communities. Mrs Hercus referred her audience to their copies bf the Labour Government’s Programme bf Equality for Women. The programme was nori-negotiable, as it was already Government policy. It covered economic equality, equality in the home and community, in education, housing, health, and in decision-making. It was probably one of the most wide-ranging pro-, grammes put forward for women anywhere, she said. At the forums, the Ministry was asking women to which specific areas of action it should give priority. As well as having the opportunity to tell the Ministry what they wanted, women could advise the Ministry on the best way both could keep in touch.