INFLUENCE OF NEW ZEALAND WOMEN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 106, 26 June 1911, Page 3

INFLUENCE OF NEW ZEALAND WOMEN.

“The Lively” is bringing out ;v series of articles' - culled', “Women and the Empire,” and the following ex-, tracts from the third of tho scries on “Their Influence in Now Zealand” may interest some of my, readers. ‘‘The women of. New Zealand are now, after a long struggle, in the happy position of; haying acquired a definite and important share in the active life of their own country. . Their influence in this, part, of our Empire is probably more direct and far-reaching than anywhere else. The Now Zealand Parliament was the_ first in tho, world to recognise tho political equality of men and women, and in 1893 women were granted the right to vote-in all elections for members of the House of Representatives, tho qualifications being the same for both sexes. . . . The University of Now Zealand can also claim the glory of being the first within tho British Empire to grant women degrees. Tho result of those measures lias been a widening and deepening of women’s influence in all spheres of life. Now tasks and wider duties claim tho time which many women in other countries devote to amusement. “'That those responsibilities have not lessened women’s Ipve for homo, life is proved by the fact that the marriage rate is higher in Now Zealand than in any, European country* except Hungary; while the . infant mortality is tho lowest in the world, and strenuous,efforts are being made by women’s societies to reduce it still further. . . • Seven hundred and twenty-eight women were studying at tiie University recently, eleven of whom were medical students, and the number of girls who go through the; University course in proportion to the female population of the country is probably considerably greater than the proportion in the United Kingdom, while there are over forty more •private schools for girls in the country than there are for hoys.