‘Few personal effects’ felt by N.Z. men

Press, 21 June 1985, Page 24

‘Few personal effects’ felt by N.Z. men

PA Wellington New Zealand men believe the women’s movement has brought changes in the last 10 years, but men have felt few personal effects. The National Council of Women included a sample of men in its survey to assess the effect of the United Nations Decade for Women in New Zealand. The views of 117 men were canvassed. Like the women questioned, the men saw household chores and raising children as still being primarily women’s work, although

half of them said they would like to spend more time with their families. The survey report recorded that none said why they could not spend the extra time now. As a group, men seemed more able to allocate time for organised leisure activities and to include them as a legitimate part of the week’s activities, the report said. “Like the women, most men had a strong impression of change for women brought about by the women’s movement. They

seemed to see the women’s movement as a force for change in law, increased opportunity in employment and greater invlovement by women in politics, to the benefit of both men and women,” the report said. “They, too, did not appear to link the movemeni to implications for the domestic roles of individual women.” A council spokesman said men had been included in the survey because it was felt any changes in women might also have affected men.