TURKISH EMANCIPATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22215, 16 September 1935, Page 3

TURKISH EMANCIPATION

CULTURE OF THE WOMEN r IMPRESSIONS OF MISS KANE CONFERENCES ABROAD Attendance at three conferences of importance was incorporated by Miss Amy Kane, of Wellington, in a visit abroad from which sho returned by the Mataroa. The most interesting of these was the conference of the International Alliance of Suffrage and Equal Citizenship which was held at Istamboul, Turkey. Many matters of interest and importance to women were discussed at the conference, that of the nationality of married women being a keenly debated subject, Miss Kane said in an interview yesterday.

A big open meeting was held at which members of the allianco and also of the International Council of Women were present, the subject being the important one of peace, while at a public meeting held at Istamboul University on the same subject there was a large attendance of Turkish students who appeared to be very much in favour with the purpose of the meeting. "The Turkish people gave me the impression of being anxious to maintain peace," Miss Kane said. The women of Turkey were highly educated and cultured and were fully qualified and able to take up the various professions as they were doing. When in London Miss Kane attended the' annual meeting of the Associated Countrywomen of the World

as New Zealand's representative for the Women's Institutes. Next year this meeting isi to be held in Washington. The annual meeting of the Women s Institutes of Great Britain was also attended by Miss Kane, who said it was held in the Albert Hall and was attended by about 8000 women. There were, however, many difficulties encountered in conducting a business meeting of sudh large proportions, the resolutions having to be severely limited, while the facilities for debate were hampered by the unwieldiness of the meeting. Visits to Institutes

Miss Kane visited several institutes in England, and in Wales she opened the North Wales exhibition of work held at Bangor University. "This university is lent every year for the purpose by the university head who is very sympathetic to the movement and considers it an important educational body," Miss Kane said. The conference of the British Commonwealth League, a woman s organisation which exists for the linking together of women of the British commonwealth, was also attended by Miss Kane who explained that the league coordinated ideas and brought forward to the British Government what the colonies needed. Suggestions as to the treatment of the Australian aborigines, for instance, had been made and the league h£cl been the means of getting Australian organisations to take action in this matter. Women Journalists

A journalist herself, Miss Kane was interested in the position of women journalists in England and * rom ner observations noticed that the tendency in England at present was for university graduates to be given positions on "fclhe newspapers. There was a phase when London society women obtained the positions, but Miss Kane considered their day was fast waning and that the university graduate had been found more able to fulfil the duties required. "Women are not usually engaged in general reporting, their 'sphere being more in the social and domestic world," Miss Kane said. It. was found that men were far more able to stand up to the gruelling life of a London reporter and as there were plenty of men to fill those positions the "prospers of a woman obtaining such work were very slender.