The atomic age: a challenge to women (Tribune, 1 Oktober 1958)

Tribune (1958-10-01) - Magazine The atomic age--a challenge to women Source: Trove, National Library of Australia - https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article236325638 Date retrieved: 2026-10-17 OCR text (uncorrected) follows. 01 Oct 1958 - Magazine Tribune (Sydney, NSW: 1939 - 1991), Wednesday 1 October 1958, page 6 [?]The atomic age— a challenge to women"A new woman is being born who strives to. fulfil her responsibility as citizen, mother and educator of her children, companion to her husband and as a worker in the service of progress.""THIS statement from the Manifesto of the Fourth World Congress of Women organised by the Women's International Democratic Federation, which met in Vienna last June, was indeed borne out at the Congress discussions, according to an,., Australian delegate, Mrs. Mary fester. Mrs. Lester, secretary of.the Union of Australian Women, Perth, was national delegate for the U.A.W. and leader of the delegation. Mrs. Esme. Cramm ( Wollongong,- N.S.W.), represented the Miners Women's Auxiliaries, and Mrs/ Win, Worth-ington (Brisbane), the Waterside Workers' Women's Committees. Three observers also accompanied the delegation. The following is Mrs. Lester's account to a Tribune reporter of this great congress. Women came to the Congress from 76 countries and from every cqntinent. There were some 500 delegates and observers from many walks of life — members of parliament, factory workers, professional women, housewives.... One remarkable feature was the youthfulness of the majority. Many attended wearing their national costumes — Indian women in saris, Africans in stiff blue and silver organza, Norwegians in black velvet bodices over full skirts, Mongolians, Burmese, Japanese in their colorful clothes. They added to the already splendid spectacle which the hall, beautiful in itself and beautifully decorated presented. Within the Congress were held three conferences — The defence of Life; The Status of Women; Education of Children. All came together in Congress plen-ary.sessions. 4 An Australian delegate attended each one. Mrs. Lester herself was elected to preside over the Conference on the status of women. In 76 countries women have now won political righte. For the first time delegates from Argentine were able to obtain visas. A women M.P. came from Greece. But, ajart from the Socialist countries, it is in Asia that women are so forging ahead. A doctor and two trade union leaders from Japan; two M.P.'s from India, women from Indonesia, told of the tremendous work, women were doing in the villages, going about their work in a public way. Some of the most inspiring examples of courage were given by delegates from Africa and Middle East countries — like the girl fromSenegal (West Africa where 94 per cent, of the women have no-say at all as to whom they will marry. In the face of dreadful poverty, f oppression and terror millions of women are playing a valiant part in the struggle for the independence of their countries. Two of the most moving appeals to Congress came from such women. One was from a South African delegate who asked for help for victims of the infamous Treason Trials. / The other was made by a beautiful young Algerian woman, -who gave evidence of the French policy of genocide in Algeria, of a deliberate and systematic attempt to wipe out the Algerian people. "Do not let your sons be brought up to take.pai;t in such horrors and barbarities against our children," she cried to the delegates from France. It was reports from women Jike. these, of the brutality and torture used against them, that roused Congress to send a letter to the United Nations drawing attention to the increasing practice of torture in some countries. /\N June 1, International Child-ren's Day, congress also sent a message to U.N.O., protesting, that there was not yet an international agreement to cease atomic tests, and urging the necessity of this agreement in the interests particularly of children. The issues of peace, cessation of tests, - banning of atomic weapons, -naturally predominated in such a gathering. As Congress manifesto said: "The atomic age is va challenge ' to women.... We denounce those preparing such a war as enemies of our children and of all mankind...."Atomic "Atomic testis are already spread-. ing slow death among our children. "We demand prohibition of atomic weapons. "We are hundreds of millions, the half of mankind. "We can be decisive in the struggle to prevent atomic war." Time and time again throughout Congress various delegates referred to the feelings of relief and appreciation of women in their countries at the Soviet Union's decision to stop nuclear weapons tests.. Mme. Nina Popova, General Secretary of "the All Union Trade Union Congress of the Soviet Union, deputy to the Supreme Soviet, president of the Soviet Women's Com-mittee—and mother of a large family, led the Soviet delegation. One indication she gave of the tremendous advance of Soviet women was the fact that 94,000 of them are scientific workers, many of very high qualifications. Without this big force of.women, she said, science would hot be as far advanced in. the Soviet Union as it is. today. " ' "TOURING the stirring days of the Congress," Mrs. Lester concluded, "we came to know a number of women with many different points of view and ways of life.. "We came to' respect and love them, and we are convinced it is quite possible for the whole world to live together peaceably, and that women have a special responsibility to help bring this about. "I think it was a real achievement for Australian women to send so big a representation all the way to Vienna. "And we were proud that the contributions we could make to the discussions seemed to be of value and that there was so much interest in our progress here. "My impression is that although in many ways Australian women are conscious of the need to stop the teste and ban the bomb, and also to win social and economic equality, we lack the conviction that we must and can DO more about it. "Australian, women, I feel, after listening to the women of so many other countries, are not conscious of the power they have. "I am convinced that women of the world) are unanimous that the tests must stop and real efforts for peace be made by their governments. "In view of that it is obvious that a government such as ours, which does not pursue a real policy of peace, is not worthy of office, and that women particularly must work to have that government replaced."MME. EUGENE COTTON, President of the W.I.D.F. since its in ception toas re-elected unoppose during the Fourth World on gress oj Women. Mme, Cotton u 76. In her younger days' she contributed much to French science.JAPANESE delegates to the IV. th World Congress of Women in Vienna. Front left, Dr. Goma, who reported to Congress on effects of the A-bombs and tests on Japanese women and children. These delegates told of the great strength of the Japanese peace movement.