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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 2. March 5 1979

The National Council of Women

The National Council of Women

The next step was to federate the Women's Organsiations; this was initiated by Ada Wells of Canterbury in 1896. Ada Wells wrote in 1899 "before she can hold her place by the side of man, as a companion and as an associate, she must be relieved of the burden which drags her down; and this is why she has set about to organise societies to secure that cohesion, coherence and unity of method which are necessary to enable her to break her chains".

THE FIGHT FOR THE VOTE EQUALITY FOR ALL

Photo of women marching with banners

Photo of women working in a sweing factory

Kate Sheppard was the first President of the National Council of Women and the Vice Presidents were all leaders in the womens emancipation movement. One of their main aims was to gain the right for women to stand for parliament — this was achieved in 1919. Its general aims were equal pay and opportunity for women, the economic independence of married women, international peace, social reforms related to pensions and the treatment of prisoners, and an objective attitude to the economic system exemplified in their discussions on nationalisation, the single tax on land and soc- page 9 ialism.

In 1902 the NCW went out of existence. The WCTU continued but on a smaller scale. New Zealand was full of patriotic fervour and support for its soldiers in the Boer War. Prosperity had come with rising overseas prices for farm products, made possible by refridgeration; the scandalous abuses of factory labour had been removed and liberal labour laws introduced. Much of what the women had fought for had been won; better divorce laws, regulations of the liquor trade, education for women, matrimonial property rights, protection for the well-being of women and children, and above all the vote. Furthermore the leaders of the Women's movement were getting old and younger women were taking what existed for granted.