ABYSSINIAN WOMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 16, 18 July 1936, Page 19

ABYSSINIAN WOMEN

EQUAL RIGHTS WITH "■■■.• - MEN' ;

PRINCESS INTERVIEWED

When the Princess Tsahai arrived in England with her father, the -Emperor of Abyssinia, she came to aland that was not strange to her, though her memory of it may be somewhat dim. That was one of the first things she told me during an interview, states the London correspondent of the "Manchester" Guardian."

I had asked her how England, had impressed her at first" sight, and she smiled when she said that it was not new to her. "I came here wnen I was eight years old," she said, "and I remained here for a year with my governess. We spent part of the.time in Chester and the rest in Bournemouth. I do not remember those places very clearly, though I • expect my; memories would revive if I visited them again, but I know that I enjoyed my stay here very much."

The Princess afterwards . spent two' years at a small school in Switzerland, and I gathered that she had visited Europe on another occasion, returning to Abyssinia for her father's coronation. She speaks English, French, and: German fluently. ■Princess Tsahai said that she had been greatly pleased by the encouragement and the kindness of the people when they welcomed the Emperor's arrival, but she seemed to have been prepared for it. "We knew how the' English people were feeling," she said. I asked what position Abyssinian women held in their own country. They had equal rights with men under the Constitution; were they taking full advantage of that fact? Were they entering the medical and legal' professions? NO WOMEN DOCTORS. The Princess said that of course they could do anything they wished; they were perfectly free, but she thought that, as in other countries, they were very much under the influence of their menfolk. There were women- of property who managed their own estates, several women had become lawyers, and there were trained: nurses, but as yet no women doctors. She thought Abyssinian . women were .'chiefly in-; terested in their home life. Yet, it was true that they had the right of divorce, and she was afraid they were using that right, a little more, freely than they used :to do. ' • '

Princess Tsahai spoke warmly of the courage displayed by the great number of women who went with their husbands to the war, carrying food and clothing for them, facing many dangers, and ready to. do all they could for their husbands or kinsfolk, who were wounded. "They were very brave women," she said. .

Shortly before the menace of war appeared the women in Addis Ababa founded the • Ethiopian Women's Work Association, of which the Empress was patroness and Princess' Tsahai president; , "It was ready to develop into a big. organisation when war broke out,'Asaid-thfe Princess,."and themem-bers-did^a great deal of work for the Red, Cross Society, making, b.aridages and so, on. Lady, Barton, the , wife of tha British Minister, gave, us a great deal of' help; with our work, and she also was' the; greatest assistance-in securing the' help of women in this country. We got such a lot of help from England and Scotland and even from South Africa that we cannot express the gratitude' we feel." •" : I I asked about.the wireless news that came into Abyssinia, from abroad, and Princess Tsahai said that there was a big wireless station in Addis. Ababa giving general news, and a .smaller one. that broadcast special- news. "We had-news of what was happening everywhere:" ■ She did not think a gi;eat many people! in Addis Ababa had wifeless.sets, certainly not so many as in another town where there was also a wireless station. ' CHARMING, GENTLE VOICE. "My mother broadcast several times and I used to broadcast in English what she said in Ethiopian. Once or twice I broadcast for myself." The Princess has a charming, gentle voice, but there was a note of indignation in it when she said, "The Italians used sometimes to try to jam the broadcast when mj; mother was broadcasting to Europe, and quite a lot'of times they succeeded." ' ■ . r

She told me that she thought she would probably not be going to Switzerland with"her father, but remaining for a time in England. It is to be hoped that she will, for she will make many friends here. Although only seventeen ■ years old, this Abyssinian Princess, with her' attractive olive-skinned face, full of intelligence, is a woman of personality.