Little change in 10 years—N.Z. women

Press, 21 June 1985, Page 24

Little change in 10 years —N.Z. women

PA Wellington Most New Zealand women feel their lives have altered little in the last 10 years, according to a survey out today. Most women surveyed were no more or no less satisfied with their lives than they were in 1975 and their expectations of how they should spend their time had barely changed. The National Council of Women conducted the survey to assess the effect of the United Nations Decade for Women r in New Zealand. The survey has been published in book form and will be presented to the United Nations’ women’s conference in Nairobi next month by the New Zealand delegation. The 613 women surveyed represented all age groups, a wide range of educational attainment and work experience, representing the extremes of every issue and from every part of New Zealand, the organisers said.

An overwhelming 94 per cent of participants thought the women’s movement was a good thing that had achieved big changes for some; women, but had little impact on their own lives. More than a third of participants said changes in their family life had been the most important in the last decade. No more than 10 per cent of women rated any other single area of change, such as employment or income, as important. Any changes in family life appeared to affect a woman’s sense of identity, and her perceived role as mother, wife, former wife, the report said. While many women thought their own family life had improved, there was a strong perception that family life in general had deteriorated in New Zealand. Some women felt a little more entitled now to get help for household chores but the vast majority still

regarded housework and child rearing as women’s responsibilities. Most women felt they had to put their household duties ahead of their own leisure rather then seeking help to enable them to have more leisure time. Eighty per cent of women did most or all of the household chores with only 5 per cent saying they got more help round the house than they did 10 years ago. However, only a small minority of women were dissatisfied with this situation. <.- • Women were not found to have unanimous views on any single issue covered in the survey, but the majority of women saw a distinction between men’s and women’s views of issues. Most women wanted more women members of Parliament because they would understand women’s views, but they did not want those members to be too radical.