Women in Politics

Maoriland Worker, Volume 5, Issue 180, 15 July 1914, Page 8

Women in Politics

By ELIZABETH McCOMBS

In the past seventy years there has been the most remarkable progress in what is known as the "Woman Movement." Within that period womeni have advanced from a position in the social organisation that practically amounted to sl-nveiy, wherein they were consideiedi to exist practically'! for no other purpose than to minister to the needs and gratify the desires of men. What is the position of women today? Im somo countries we find they are admitted to all the professions, sciences, and trades; in others they are standing almost equal with men in ail tho civic and political institutions, ln our own country we are about to celebrate the twenty-first anniversary of the granting of the francliiso to women. Yet it is a common fact that a large number of women in every country lag behind, and refuse to tako advantage of the opportunities that exist. In New Zealand, much capital is mado of this fact by those who aYe opposed to progress, -and frequently bitteniess is felt hy those who have earnestly worked for the emancipation of women, that the whole race of women doe's not move forward in one \]ino towards the emancipatin of mankind. But what is the past history o': women, and what is responsible for the j great advance that the 7 have made? Sixty years ago the only sphere permitted to women was that immediately connected with the household. Educated women were rare, and wero not regarded with popular admiration. The whole position of women was ono of servitude. A daughter's services belonged to her father, and a wife belonged body and soul to her husband. She was entirely her husband's property. She owed fhim exact obedience, and he might legally chastise her if she did not behave in accordance with his injunctions, her. person and her property belonged to her husband, and he acted for her in all things. Husband and wife were ono, and that one the husband. The wife had no separate interests, no business interests, no politics; in religion even it was a case of "He for God, and she for God in him." But in the-passing of time all these {hings are wearing away ;the whole attitude of the world towards women has changed as women's attitude toI .

wards the world has changed These changes have been brought about, not by the writing of books nor tho preaching of sermons, but by the natutal clia'nges in our findhistrial and -commercial life.

The commerce that outgrew the home l industries required skilled workers in (the factories; the factories and count-in-houses required trained intellects, education became necessary to produce jthe highly-trained worker required in the best- interests of commerce. It was this that the system, which had flung on one side the woman industrial worker in the home, now demanded, that she should come forth into the world to labour in the factory, co teach in the school. So there has grown up in a remarkably short time a great body of strongly intellectual and independent women —independent industrially and conoraically—andl it is very largely, through these that the present advanced position of women has been attained But while these women have to some extent emancipated themselves from the shackles of the past, there stil 1 exists a very great number of women who have been denied the opportunities given to others. These aire the dependent, women. Not yet freo economically, they are still hound to the wheel of necessity; they have not beeni required to put forth mental effort in the struggle for existence, and their mental development has not therefore kept pace with that of their stronger sisters. These are they who have been, and are still, called "the weaker sex." And the name is quite appropriate. That they have advanced! very considerably in the past half century is true, but they have advanced just so far as they| have been forced to fol'ow the strong women who lead. The women workers of the world have led the progressive movement of women in the past, and by all the laws of reason wo look to them to load it in the future. To the women jwqrkers, and wives of working men, 'I would say-You ate in the front. Behind, you are all the women in the world and all the'children I Keep mov-ing-forward. Do not stop to blame those who aro behind. Remember that they are weighted with what remains of al» the shackles of all the women of the past; they cannot step forth free. But you are free and strong. Go forward and iead on.