page_title: Mabel Howard
section_title: Cabinet Minister
hierarchical_section_title: Mabel Howard / Political career / Cabinet Minister
caption_attribution_description: English: Labour Member of Parliament Mabel Howard had strong ties with the working-class Sydenham electorate, which she represented from 1946 to 1969. She was an advocate for consumers, and is often remembered for waving two differing ‘OS’ (oversize or extra large) pairs of women’s bloomers in Parliament in 1954. Her aim was to show the importance of having standard clothing sizes.
context_page_description: Mabel Bowden Howard was a well-known New Zealand trade unionist and politician. She was the first woman secretary of a predominantly male union.
  She was a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party from 1943 until 1969. In 1947 she became New Zealand's first woman cabinet minister when she was made Minister of Health and Minister in charge of Child Welfare. She is remembered for waving two large pairs of bloomers in parliament in support of her successful campaign to have clothing sizes standardised.
context_section_description: Howard became a Cabinet Minister only four years after entering Parliament. In 1947, she became Minister of Health and Child Welfare; the first woman Cabinet Minister in the Commonwealth outside of Britain. When the Labour Party was returned to office in 1957, Howard again achieved Cabinet rank as Minister of Social Security and Child Welfare and Minister in charge of Women and Children. Harry Atmore, the Independent MP for Nelson, recognised Mabel Howard's contribution to New Zealand: "She is a real advocate for the women of this country and with the experience she has had – much wider than ladies of her age usually have – she can speak with authority".
  She stated that she 'worked like a slave'. She is quoted as saying:
  I was in politics for a purpose – my very life was politics. I suppose this was because I was more manly than most women; that’s why I never married.
caption: Howard with her pairs of bloomers in 1954
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