STATUS OF WOMEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23887, 15 August 1939, Page 17

STATUS OF WOMEN

ITALY AND GERMANY " SET BACK CENTURIES " "The emancipation of women in Italy and Germany has been set back centuries," said Mr Kenneth Melvin, when addressing members of the United Women's Association in Auckland recently on the status of women in these two countries. "Whether we call this system of government Fascism, Nazism or Communism, I think there is very little between them in the practical issue upon codes such as this," he continued. Describing some of the consequences to women's status in Italy since Fascism had moved in, Mr Melvin pointed out that Fascism was a rule by force which subordinated the woman to the fighting male. On one occasion, when speaking to Emil Ludwig, Signor Mussolini had said, in effect, that women had to obey, that they should not count politically or socially, and that if he gave them the vote Italy would laugh at him. An analysis of the laws, in respect to jyomen's status under Fascism showed many grim facts, continued Mr Melvin, particularly in regard to the new Italian penal code. This, for instance, provided that a man was culpable before the law for beating his wife, daughter, or sister only, if she was physically or mentally injured permanently. , ■ If the woman died as a result of such treatment the man was not charged, as was previously the case, with murder, but with manslaughter, for which the maximum penalty was eight years' imprisonment. Should the wife flee from her husband on account of his ill-treatment, she was liable to be tracked by the police and either fined or imprisoned for her " offence." Turning to Germany, Mr Melvin showed how the status of women had been retarded since the advent of Nazi rale, and recalled the occasion when, with one or two notable exceptions, there was wholesale dismissal of women from the Civil Service. The right of admission to the universities and the right of women to practise their professions had also been seriously curtailed, he added. Only 10 per cent, of those who passed the matriculation examination were allowed to go to university, and to-day only 10 per cent, of those who graduated were allowed to practise their chosen profession, continued Mr Melvin. Of the 10,500 women who passed the university entrance examination in 1930 only 1000 were actually permitted to enter the university, the remaining 9500 being debarred. Scientific studies were completely Closed to German women in their own country, and the same obtained in Italy in regard to educational studies. The drafting to camps of unemployed women in Germany, where the most unpleasant and menial domestic tasks were allotted to them, was described by Mr Melvin, who also recalled the fact that one year's compulsory gratuitous labour to the State was exacted from all German girls between the ages of 17 and 21. On these occasions also, no work was considered too menial for these girls.