Cot Death Society to benefit from day

Press, 4 March 1989, Page 5

Cot Death Society to benefit from day

International Women’s Day on March 8 will be marked in Christchurch by the National Council of Women with a fundraising drive for the Cot Death Society.

The council’s Christchurch president, Mrs Liz Baxendine, said the Court Theatre had agreed to allow the council to sell tickets to its production of “Steel Magnolias,” and collect a percentage of the profit, possibly up to $2 a ticket. The council aimed to raise about $4OO, but more importantly to increase awareness of the society’s work, she said.

“We want to celebrate International Women’s Day, but we also want to put the message across about the need for research into cot death, because it is an issue for

all women. “The winter is coming and the problem is so bad here, we want to make people aware of that so they do something about supporting the society.” The council’s national president, Mrs Jocelyn Fish, of Morrinsville, said the day would be one to reflect on the contribution of women in paid and unpaid activity. She hoped more women would be encouraged to stand for public office in the reorganised local government, health and education administrations. Women made up only 14 per cent of members of Parliament and local bodies. Territorial local government needed more women to truly reflect the population, she said.