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Te Ao Hou, Spring 1954, Page 57

From this glance at the organisation of the M.W.W.L., we can see just how closely the League follows the pattern of European Women's societies, which stand alongside the League with similar aims, doing similar work. Because of this, members and intending members of the League (and I do hope this article will encourage any women readers who have not joined the League to do so immediately), may be interested to read a little about European women's organisations in this country. As far back as 1875 New Zealand has had voluntary organisations with aims similar to those of the M.W.W.L. Some of those arose as attempts to deal with particular problems of women and children at particular times. When the undesirable circumstances disappeared or were improved those organisations ceased to exist. Their primary function was to meet an emergency. But there were other organisations formed to deal with conditions and problems common to all women at all times, and those organisations were of a more permanent nature, many of them still functioning today. To mention a few of the best known, there are the Y.W.C.A. founded in New Zealand as far back as 1878, the W.C.T.U. founded in 1884, and the Plunket Society, perhaps the largest and most active voluntary organisation in New Zealand, founded in 1907. The Plunket Society has become such an important factor in the lives of most young New Zealand mothers that one is apt to forget that it is one of these voluntary organisations. Although Moari as well as European women benefit from the services of these organisations, none of them could be said to be similar in activity to the M.W.W.L., except in the widest possible sense. In Auckland, in 1893, the Society for the Protection of Women and Children was founded, and soon established branches in the four main centres. The aims of this society, which are comparable to those of the M.W.W.L., are to give advice and guidance on marital problems, to protect the interests of women and children, and to give limited finacial relief in marital discord. And like all organisations, including the M.W.W.L., that work in the field of social welfare, the Protective Societies operate on two levels: they serve their own localised areas through the local branches, and they endeavour to influence the development of social services as a whole. It is on this second level that the activities of the Protective Societies and the M.W.W.L., most closely approach each other. Two other organisations very similar in their activities to the M.W.W.L., are the Women's Institute, founded in Wellington in 1895, and