PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 43, 21 February 1925, Page 14

PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

v The February meeting of tho Society for the Protection of Women and Children was held at liady'Stout's.on Fi-iday afternoon. The resignation of Mrs. M'Gregor, on account of ill-health, wae accepted with

regret. After the usual business the time was occupied in discussing the following .resolutions and remits to be sent" to the Conference of tho International Council of Women;-to bo held, in Washington : "That the Society for the Protection o£ Women;and Children^Wellington, New Zealand, wishes• to urge that the In-" ternational Council oE Women will support its contention, that the ultra-pub-licity given to the names and cases of delinquent girls and women "is unnecessary and most harmful." The reasons for ■this resolution are as follow : (1) That tho girls and women iv question" are often either sub-normal or abnormal, and are not altogether responsible for -their actions. (2) That a number are the victims of their parents' lamentable lack; of home-teaching and control. (3) That a percentage stj^.l, or otherwise misbehave, on. account of the poverty and distress- of their children or other relatives. (4) That the practice of a number of newspapers of heralding these delinquents with a number of Startling headlines :is a very distressing and cruel proceeding,... simply... pandering to the gossiping inclination of the:censor r ' lous, weak, and. foul-minded of', the public. - (SJ-.Thaijthe-effect is to take' t'roni the email amojiht." of .which'is'left to these unfortunates after tile Court proceedings following oiv their delinquencies. (6) That', those social workers who take an interest.in ...the after-care. of these' people find .that -this kind of publicity makes'- it almost-im-possible to obtain reasonably decent employment for: the offenders, whereas there are quite a number of kindly folk who would give them a chance. were they not afraid that their homes would become liable to visits from undesirablq persons of both sexes if it were known •that the'girls who had been so'paraded hi public were resident, there. (7) That therefore, these girls / and' women are thrust onto'the streets to obtain the only livelihood open to them; the other alternatives being starvation or suicide. (8) That therefore, the society begs the conference to consider this urgent •matter,'and make' an effort; to definitely institute a world-wide campaign against it, on the same lines as the internationa 1 conferences in the past have taken up other abuses aud fought against them with courage-and success. That this society'strongly urges that: in cases of infanticide, or suspected infanticide, sfc IS c compulsory for the father of the child to take his place beside themother iUiSn^hl! Cially"th 6? seof-i