Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1946-11-01

Human Rights, because this ques-
ton of the development and rights
of women naturally belongs to this
section of the United Nations
work, and still now, when the
question has turned out to be so
big and complicated that it has
to be dealt with by commission
of its own, belongs to the Human
Rights Section of the United Ma
tions Secretariat.
The nuclear Commission met in
May and it was amazing how uni
form were the wishes of the wom-
en- of the world about the fields
in which their status has to be
raisedr-the details could differ &C.
cording to the different cultural
and religious background and the
different stages of social and eco
nomic development. But the main
points were the same. First of all
the political rights were found
fundamental-they are the key to
all other work for influence on
the condition of the State. Then
came education, the possibility for
studies and development, to take
over responsibilities as citizens,
and then the civil rights, the right
to make a. living, to make a con-
tract, a position in marriage and
in the family the right over ones
own person, and last but perhaps
the most important: the desire for
equal opportunities and duties on
labor market. Special considera-
lions should be given to the con-
ditions of motherhood. Everybody
in the Commission agreed to that.
well knowing that such special
considerations, when not being
link in a general social policy, can
lead to great disabilities for the
women concerned. The nuclear
Commission had no more than II
days to agree upon this broad gen.
eral outline, to make proposals as
to the future composition of the
Commission and to suggest some
concrete points where it thought
the United Nations ought to take
action at once The report was con-
sidered by the Economic and So
cial Council, the Sub Commission
was made a full Commission and
Is Member States We're elected to
send representatives to the first
meeting of the full Commission
which probably will take place in
February of next year, and the
Secretary-General was asked to es-
tablish a part of the Secretariat
as special office for carrying out
the work of this Commission. This
office has already started to plan
the investigation of laws and the
application of laws pertaining to
women as was also one of the
wishes of the nuclear Commits
sion.
We have every reason to be
pleased with this action taken by
the United Nations. It is the first
time in the history that the status
of half of the population of the
world-the women - is taken in
serious consideration as the social,
economic and psychological prob
lem it is; it will for the first time
be analysed by experts who will
try to divide realities from preju-
dices we'll knowing that prejudices
might be of even more Importance
than realities in this matter. but
as they have to be treated by
other methods it is valuable to
know their precise nature.
l think that the United Nations
will ask every Member State to
set up Commission for the Stat
us of Women in the individual
country, a Commission consisting
of Government representatives
trade union people, representa-
tives of women's organizations and
| others, and this national Commits
sion will have the purpose to find
the differences between the status
of men and women in that country
and to suggest how these can be
eliminated. l know well that many
things have to be taken into con-
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