THE Y.W.C.A. IN INDIA

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 521, 2 August 1932, Page 9

THE Y.W.C.A. IN INDIA

Address by Miss D. Gavin, Student Secretary.

A number of senior girls and women members of the Y.W.C.A. spent an interesting evening in the Club Rooms last night, when Miss Doris Gavin, the National Y.W.CA. Student Secretary from India, gave an address. Introduced by Mrs W. Machin, president of the Y.W.C.A., Miss Gavin described her work in India and the formation of the Y.W.C.A. there. In New Zealand, she said, the membership was composed mostly of business girls, girls from industrial houses, and. students. In India practically none of the girls did industrial work and the membership was made up mostly of students. She referred to the mill'workers, many of whom were young married women with babies and small children, who accompanied them to the mills and were left uncared for during working hours. In conjunction with other organisations the Y.W.C.A. had been trying to better these conditions and in one centre had established a creche for the babies and a nursery school. The mothers, too, were offered educational facilities, and much good welfare work was being accomplished. Talking of the girls of India, Miss Gavin said that those in the north, where the climate was colder, were great sportswomen, being splendid players of badminton and basket-ball. She described their costumes and later dressed some of the girls present in the national sari. Miss Gavin concluded her address with a demonstration of spinning on a small spindle and also passed round a number of photos of India, and a book of Indian art. She also played gramophone records of Bengali songs, which sounded rather weird to European ears.