LEAGUE AND WOMEN'S STATUS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 96, 20 October 1937, Page 19

LEAGUE AND WOMEN'S STATUS

In the days of suffragette militancy in Great Britain it was often found and declared that 13 was the militants' lucky number, states a message from Geneva dated September 18 in the "Manchester Guardian." No. 13 this year on the Assembly agenda is "Status of Women." Behind that lie several years of work in the international field, based on many years of work within the nations and coming directly to the League in 1929. In that year the realisation of the congruence of League action and national action resulted in the formation of a new international organisation of women with the sole object of obtaining collectively from the States members of the League of Nations a convention to assure equality of rights as between men and women. The word "rights" now, eight years later, tends to become "status," but the intention is identical. In 1934 a request was made that "Status of women" should be dis-

cussed by the Assembly. In 1935 it was so discussed and the following resolution was passed:— . "The Assembly, noting that the question of the status of women was placed on the agenda of the present session for examination, at the of a number of delegations, with particular reference to the Equal Rights Treaty signed at Montevideo on December 26, 1933, by representatives of the Governments of Cuba, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay; "Considering that the terms of the Equal Rights Treaty, should be examined in relation to the existing political, civil, and economic status of women under the laws of the countries of the world; "Recognising that the question of conditions of employment, whether of men or women, is a matter which properly falls within the sphere of the International Labour Organisation; "1. Decides that the question of the political and civil status of women shall be referred by the Secretary General to the Governments for their observations, including observations as to the action which in their view the League might take in the matter, and that the Governments shall be requested to supply to the Secretary General, together with their observations, information as to the existing political and civil status of women under their respective national laws; "2. Recommends that the women s international organisations should continue their study of the whole question of the political and civil status of women; , .. "3. Requests that the observations and information communicated by the Governments and the statements of the said international organisations shall be sent to the Secretary General for consideration by the Assembly of the League of Nations at a subsequent ses : "4! Expresses the hope that the International Labour Organisation will, in accordance with its normal procedure, undertake an examination of those aspects of the problem within its competence—namely, the question of equality under labour legislation—and that it will, in the first place, examine the question of legislation which effects discrinimations, some of which may be detrimental to women's right to work. WRITTEN AND UNWRITTEN LAWS. Since then twenty-seven Governments have replied, and eight international organisations of women have sent in reports. The Governments have given detailed and documented statements of the position of their women nationals according to tneir written laws. Readers have to appreciate that the numerous unwritten laws, based upon custom or upon prejudice or upon male domination, find no place in these statements. The in-

FORTHCOMING GENEVA DISCUSSIONS

ternational organisations have, however, included unwritten as well as written laws, have dealt with customs surviving from very ancient days, and with the effects of prejudice and of the frequent assumption of male superiority, 1 male domination, female inferiority, female subservience. The whole, which is contained in League documents A 33 1936 V and Al4 1937 V, forms a most valuable background for the arguments which may be developed during this year's discussions. The normal procedure will be that the Assembly will send "Status of Women" to the First Commission, that which deals with legal matters. There will be moved the relevant resolution and there should develop effective discussion. There appear at present three lines of intention. The international organisations of women, grouped together for this matter, are asking for an "international convention granting to women equality of rights and re-

sponsibilities with men." This demand will be embodied, in the correct form, in a resolution to be presented to the First Commission. Several delegations will take the same line, their Governments having expressed themselves in favour of international action. Other Governments have' expressed the opinion that the matter is best dealt with by national action, and it is for each State member to continue so to change its own laws asi eventually, to bring about the desired equality of status. THE LINE OF OPPOSITION. The third line which at present emerges is that of the opposition —that is, of those who desire to retain the superior status of men and the inferior status of women. It is a remarkable fact that no Government now dares to state this desire publicly in writing. The belief in such a wholesale superiority and wholesale inferiority has so largely disappeared that its voice has sunk to a mere whisper. The line of opposition which is indicated for this year is postponement. The fact that about half the States members have so far not replied gives the opposition an excuse to ask for. postponement. What has been written refers only to the action by the League on the "civil and political" Btatus of women. Collateral with this is the profound study being made by the International Labour Organisation into "conditions of employment." That study covers all its States members and deals exhaustively with professional as well as industrial status. It is hoped to ascer- [ tain beyond a doubt which of the barriers to employment for women are based upon a written law or an internal regulation or pierely upon tradition upheld by prejudice. When this study lis available it should provide a most valuable view of the status of women in regard to their gainful employment, I whether for wage or for salary. In the meantime its absence offers another 'excuse for postponement. | In any case, whatever is decided upon, it should not be beyond the wit of women, having obtained a place among subjects to be dealt with by the League of Nations, to retain that place. If not this year, another year. Always the volume of support grows, always the opposition "has greater difficulty in finding adequate arguments. There have been used in turn the economic crisis, the Disarmament Conference, the search for peace, and now it is the danger of war. Each year different in outward form, identical in inner meaning. Nevertheless the idea that to make use of the I energies, the intelligences of the female half of humanity might help to solve the successive and recurrent crises which so distress us in penetrating. The steady demand of the women themselves is driving it in.