- Topic tonight is the discussion of a number of organizations of interest to women. And we have four guest panelists, Lee Margaret Lockert, Jean Robinson, and Bonnie Patton. The five of us do not pretend to be able to speak for all women's organizations, or are all organizations of concern to women. We have selected some organizations, some of you in the radio audience who may wish to speak particularly about other national organizations, doing things of interest to or for women should feel free to use the open line to call at 8644530 at any time. Panelists, when you fill out an application form if that asks your occupation, what do you say? How about you Lee? - Generally I say housewife because that's what I am most of the time. I'm not sure my family would agree with that - There's no place I suppose for volunteer on most applications and yet I understand that you have served as a volunteer and have had many. - Yeah, occasionally it becomes a full-time occupation as it has during the last couple weeks. - What do you put down Bonnie Patton? - Teacher, although I'm not sure my students would always agree with that but up teacher every time. - And how about you Margaret? - Well I'm a bookkeeper secretary and I think my employer would agree with that. - Okay, and Jean Robinson? - I'm an instructor fringe and that seems clear to most too. - That's sometimes easier how they all these occupations in my putting down whit my occupation is because people very often ask me what is a women? Which we perhaps have a program on that We do have a number of organizations we wanna talk about tonight, trying to clarify not only what these organizations are but how they differ from one another because there is a great deal of speculation, there's a great deal of nonsense at one's here's occasionally about various organizations and what they stand for. And we would like to have the cooperation of the radio audience by calling in any question which we may miss in the process discussing the matter. I have just been telling our panelists about my experience in the grocery store tonight I'm picking up a copy of Romans day. I'm sure that most of you have seen this at the counter, it sells for 25 cents. In this October issue, there is a section devoted to entitled Women's Rights Address Book. And it begins by saying, do you need help? Do you want to offer help? And up-to-date directory of the organizations and agencies currently devoted to helping women achieve equal rights and better status. So I read this article with great interest and it's a pleasure for me to recommend it to you because they deal with some 60 national groups and agencies as far more of course then we would be able to talk about tonight. It's a rather superficial in terms of the explanation of each group, but there's always a name and an address to which you can write for further information about this organization. I would consider that this section alone on the Women's Rights Address Book is certainly worth the 25 cent price of this magazine. - A lot of that though I have more recipes already now I never use and buy it but I have to back. - That's leads us to a rather interesting thing that I think is happening here. Any of you noticed anything about the so-called Women's Magazines recently? - They're changing I think they seem to be appealing to more varied interests of women and perhaps it's the creation of a couple of new magazines that have convinced the very well-established magazines so there is an interest in articles that are a special interest to working women, women who want to find out about new areas outside the home. - Do you think there's a new kind of competition and so? Perhaps the efforts of some women to help the editor of the ladies and journal may have had something to do with money and 'cause if you knew about this would you want to tell a little about it? - Well I just know what I read in their magazine but yeah I was glad to see it happen. And I think that the response that they got from readers after it, there were a lot of women who were very hostile and said this is not the way a lady should behave but there were a lot of women who said pity that ladies had to behave this way to get coverage. - Would you maybe better explain what ladies did. - They well they didn't behave like ladies, they took over the office and demanded they're more relevant articles be published or articles relevant to the movement as they saw it and they offered to help supply them. And in a couple cases were asked to supply them and a section came out of articles first devoted to the women's movement and women in the movement and then the next month a large section voted to re response. And the re response was not as negative as that might've been afraid will be. - And obviously the women were right about what women wanted. Apparently there has been no diminution in the circulation of the journal and yet the complexion of it is quite a change. Have you noticed anything about any other magazines particularly? - Well women certainly seem to become newsworthy there activities. - In practically all of them there are good articles and good housekeeping and once in a while even in - So all of them are recognizing that women do have some interests other than the very traditional ones, which these magazines were fostering before. I have once wrote a dissertation on the treatment of women and a whole series of magazines, one section being on a women's magazines and that's been a good many years ago after which I decided that I never again would read one. I think I waited almost too long because the movement caught up with them before I - You're you're ahead of me. I haven't picked one up in months and I didn't realize this was happening to women's magazines. I have noticed that the magazine which comes quarterly from my has a section on alumni in the news and or not worthy alumni, and it always has a 95% men featured very seldom a woman regardless of what she's doing. Even if you're doing a fine job in volunteer work it seems to me she should be not worthy, but she isn't. - Have you written to him? - Oh, Emily not yet - I understand from our alumni secretary that I get good many alumni are writing sometimes on one side and sometimes on the other, he told me that they had quite a response from women saying they prefer to be addressed a Ms. And then he had some others who wrote back and said they preferred not to be addressed Ms. and although we've discussed this issue on this program before, and non of you been here during it of our panelists. Do you have any comment to make on the question of Ms. - Well speaking of our secretary, yeah I was afraid to ride. I was afraid to let her would just be too I had gotten too irritated and still hadn't written and thought I might have waited too long to be and 'cause the letters that we get from our alumni association come to Dr. and Mrs. Bobby We both got our degrees here, and I don't know what an alumni organization is if it isn't partially recognition of the work that's done by the students that are here. So maybe I should just calm down and write him a letter if he's hearing from some other people. - Yes and I would then strongly advise that because he says that he would like to address people however they like to be addressed. And I think is a phase through which we must go but you notice that congressmen now have dropped the whole matter. I mean everybody's because that's much more convenient. - I do think though it is our responsibility to let people know the title we prefer because I appreciate that a lot of people feel very insecure about using the proper title, they're afraid some women will be offended by Ms. and some will be offended by Mrs. or Miss and I just think that it's my responsibility to let them know that that I like Ms. and that won't bother me. - It's a difficult transitional period there's no doubt about it because it's impossible apparently to please everybody. But many of the arguments have been used are strange indeed. Would one of you just like to review why many women are saying that they would prefer the titles like Mrs. and Miss not be used? - Well to me yeah, I certainly don't see any great difficulty at being linked with my husband publicly or I wouldn't be linked with him. No it's not that at all. It's that when he is addressed, he's addressed as a person not in terms of his legal relationship with a woman. And I would like to be addressed in the same way rather than in terms of whether I have a legal married relationship with a man, but yeah that's simple. - Do any of you have a contrary opinion because we certainly liked to hear both sides if-- - I just don't have any preference. My real name is... My given name is Leslie. Most of my life I've been written to as Mr. Leslie. So it really doesn't make any difference to me what I'm addressed as. - But that is one reason why I do like the Ms. It's most natural for me to sign my name, just Jane Robinson. And then I am absolved a responsibility of putting a title underneath my name if I know they can respond and not make a mistake. - Well let's begin the discussion of some of the organizations that have made the most impact at least. Probably... Well, oh we have a caller here. Hello. - Can you hear me? - Yes. - Well I'd just like to know if all of these women's groups are the radical type groups and what these groups do. - All right, I'll ask your question of the panelists. It's a caller wants to know if all these groups represented here are the radical types of groups. - And what we do. - Oh and what we do, yes. - Well, speaking for the league of women voters I could say, goodness no if anything, the league has been too conservative in that respect for my taste. It isn't so very many years ago that we dropped our platform plank in favor of equal rights for women. We thought we had achieved equal rights and I was upset at the time, but we dropped them. Since then we've picked up some of our interest in equal rights for women, but we're a very staid group on the hole. - How about National Federation of Business and Professional Women's club? Are you doing here? - Well not lately. I think we're probably one of the most dignified and most stayed of the organizations. And up until about 10 years ago, I imagine many young people referring to us as a women. - You are really are they take it. - Not anymore. - Women of all ages? Now we should clarify for our color that the panelists here are not necessarily representing a particular organization but they do belong to quite a number of organizations. What about the AUW founded in 1882 or we're going to talk about the AUW, the National Federation of Business Professional Women's Club, the Legal Women Voters, the Governmental Commissions on the Status of Women, and the Interstate Association of Commissions on the Status of Women, the American Association of University Professors Committee W, the women's caucuses and the academic disciplines, the National Women's Political Caucus, the National Organization for Women, and the Women's Equity Action League. And as some of you may wishes us to discuss some other organizations as well. Among all those organizations, since the main point of our program tonight is to talk about these the second part of the question our caller asked, do you know any more in any of these organizations that ever burned Do any of you? - No, but it's certainly true that there are women in the National Organization for Women who would if that's what it took to get equal rights for women. It just isn't normally done and it's normally needed sensible conversation and persuasion is generally effective. - Okay, are there any other questions you wouldn't care to ask? Our number is 8644530. Going back to AUW founded in 1882, how many of you are members of AUW? It's Lonnie and myself, could you tell us just a little bit... This is a better known organization than most women's organizations. Could you tell us just a little bit about why they were organized in the first place and anything of what they have done since that would be a concern that women's movement? Well I've put the women who have had a college education in touch with one another more than anything else. And their issues are wide ranging as I recall this year the and the consumer dollars worth they were very hesitant about the equal rights amendment. They have been neutral for the last 18 years until last year about the equal rights amendment but they-- - Without the end of the day and now. - They favorite and aside I think you told me you didn't hear a descending vote at the convention this year. But they provide scholarships for women in education. That's what most of their money goes for. - Would you like to put those headphones on and we'll take this call Good evening. Would you come in, please. - Hello. - Hello. - Hello. - Hello, can you hear me? - Yes, I'd like to ask a question. - Yes go in. - Do men belong to any of these groups and how can they belong and which ones do they belong to, and which ones are they? I think - All right the question is, do men belong to any of these groups that I have have mentioned? - Men belong to the National Organization for Women. - They also belong to the Women's Equity Action League. There are a number of men and they-- - Committee W. - Committee W, and the Commission on the Status of Women, the governmental commissions composed of both men and women. I presume not to BNPW here or to the League of Women-- - Actually few men do belong to the League of Women Voters but they are not accorded voting rights. - How about the National Women's Political Caucus there? - I really am not sure if there are any male members of the caucus. I think there probably are not at the present time with the feeling that most women who are involved in the National Women's Political Caucus are also involved in some other political organization, be it Republican or the Democratic party, or some other political organization where they are working very closely with man. And if this developed as a caucus rather than an organization originally so I would suspect that there aren't men right now but I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that they could not come, Lee have you? - No, I think they can be welcome. - We never sent anyone away at the door - Most of these organizations probably would not. I mean some of them do have man and full membership and others are the men are certainly welcome since everybody recognizes that the kinds of problems that we're really talking about are human problems that both men and women must be involved with. There is one good reason which is often given that the present situation has been the result of women's inertia, a good deal more than it has of anything else and that there are many who feel then that it must be corrected by women's action. Do you have any other comments or questions? Well, thank you for calling. The AUW I believe was in its earliest stages instrumental in getting a higher education, really open to to women. And in addition to that has used to have the standards committee which is perhaps unfortunate that it dropped. The standards committee decided whether a school was eligible for membership and the decision was made on the basis of how women were treated there. - That's great. - Faculty women and students as well. This was dropped in the late '40s in our great return to the home. And as a consequence some of the value that AUW might have exerted at that time was it was lost in the process just right before. The processes began again of helping women to attain equality. - May I ask to be a member of the AUW is must one have graduated from college or university? - Yes, true. - Is it a part of the function or the programming of the organization to deal with women's problems of now that college is over, what do we do now? Or have you seen that as being a concern of new members? - I haven't seen that as a primary issue. A woman copes with some with the problems that are handled with AUW, but I really haven't noticed a major thrust at continuing education for women and working, and a major effort has been made to give most of the scholarship money to women in post-doctoral work. It seems that it's very difficult to get it there but on the local level, very often scholarships are given to women to come back to school or to come at the undergraduate level. - Oh we have another call here. Good evening. - Yes, I'd like to ask if every state has a commission on the status on women and what kind of political power they have. - Every state has at one point had a commission on the status of women. There are a few that are rather inactive at the present time because of the lack of concern in some States by the legislature or the governor, for the kinds of things that are concerned to women. At the present time there are 40 active commissions that belong to the Interstate Association of Commissions on all the status of women. And answer to the second part of your question of what they do. They've done a wide variety of things depending upon what they've discovered in their particular state. They have of course gone on record in support of the equal rights amendment. There's only one commission in the country that had not until recently Michigan. And the reason for that was they had the unions were somewhat opposed, although the auto workers have been on record for a good long while and pave around it. - Wasn't had a commission convention that now was formed in 66, wasn't that where the women were not allowed to place the resolution on the floor that would have any impact at that time. And so the women who were there some of them formed OW at that time. - Yes that was before the actual formation of the Interstate Association of Commissions but there were commissions and they had been invited to Washington by the Women's Bureau, the Department of Labor. And there were women there who felt that the things were just a little bit too pre decided. And so a group of them got together and decided that they would form the national organization for women - Yes. - I'd like to ask if the funding is appropriate to the need for the commission in the State of Kansas and how active the commission in Kansas has been. - The funding is certainly not appropriate to the need in the State of Kansas. In fact the funding is zero and all the work that's done is done entirely by volunteers. Every stamp, every piece of paper, every true is personally funded and were the amazing thing is that along with a lot of other women's organizations, this process is happening. In fact do you know any organizations panelists who have sufficient funding? - No. - No. - It's just really the women have done these things for themselves. They have to do a great deal in helping one another and getting together enough money to send people to various things, to publish certain things. The commission about which is specifically ask has scrounged, maybe there are other commissions that do the same thing. Sometimes the labor commissioner he's friendly has agreed to publish something. Sometimes it's published by the governor's office, but it's unfunded. We do have some excuse me, but we have funding up to $40,000 a year for example of our commissions. - Oh, are all the commission members appointed by the governor, is that how you-- - In some States they are statutory, but in most States they are appointed by the governor. If he's sufficiently interested to do so and to support the organization. Many people feel that statutory commissions are better because they're the choices not left up to the particular governor in office. However this is a question that ought to be asked of anyone running for office. - What is it in Kansas? Is it statutory? - I know it's a governor's commission in Kansas. - I had been impressed with the literature and the information that has been to the status of woman here. - But it certainly has not come as a result of any funding by-- - Ex tremendous. - anyone. - But you said the commission is funded in some other states. - Oh yes up to the highest is $40,000 in the state of California. - How many members or how many appointees do we now have Kansas? - Well in Kansas, there were 50 people appointed to the commission. Most of the work however done by a much smaller group. And some of the commissions in some States are quite small nine to 12 members. Back there are nine members on the California commission with their $40,000. But probably when one removes the typical political appointment, as a way for instance of saying that there are women on state commissions the number has always of course considerably smaller than the number who are appointed. That is the number of actual workers. - If we wanted to encourage our next governor to fund this commission, what would be the most effective means of doing that? Should have gone right to the governor or tell your local legislator or what? - I think all those things are important. We did ask all the people on this program who were running for the legislature how they felt about the adequate funding to enable commissions on the status of women to fulfill their mission including active participation in the interstate because like most things, I mean women have learned as everyone else that much more can be accomplished if people of similar persuasion can join forces to do it. Certainly it's a question that should be asked of anyone running for governor of the state. And the question could be asked in writing by individuals or by other organizations, or it could be asked at the public meetings, which is probably another good arrangement. Do you have other questions? Oh thank you for calling. Let's talk a little about the National Federation of Business Professional Women's Clubs. We're going to have to break for station identification in just a moment, but Margaret could you tell us a little bit about why this organization was founded? - Well, yes I can. It seems like during the first world war the women were badly needed to supplant the man in some of the occupations with the men being sent across they all shouldn't enter the camps. And so the governor... The president was trying to organize the women or at least to locate working women. Well at that time there was actually no working women's organization. They practically the only organized group with any real access to working women was the Young Women's Christian Association, because they were at that time providing homes for the working girls in the city. They had to protect the working girl, the farm girl when she went to the big city to work in the factories. And so these women , these organizations did have a pretty good idea. So they did call together a council meeting of the Young Women's Christian Organization, and due this they invited leaders of church groups and any organized women's group. And these women of course when they got together and saw the tremendous power, the number of women that could be used they may did make plans to form a separate business and professional women's organization. So in 1919 they did meet in St. Louis, in July. And of course in the meantime many States had formed their own state federations so that they could participate in the national Federation. And in 1919 in July, there was formed a National Federation of Business and Professional Women. - Not really was a Federation of various States. - Right. - Is that right? - And Kansas was one of the member organization. - Now although there are state divisions of AUW which we were speaking, it's really quite different because there you belong as an individual rather than... I mean the AUW individual membership some of them 200,000 how many members are there, in individual members of BNPW? - You mean actual? - How many working women... Yes belong to this? - 180,000, it is the largest. - Yes so they really... Well I'm a little higher than on... I thought there were more than that, but I know it is the very largest group and that when you combine these two groups the potential is simply enormous. And I think that there are those now who recognize this especially as these organizations moved toward greater aggressiveness in terms of seeking equality for all people. - Now of course we have the International Federation too and then nearly every free country of the world - We will pause now for a moment for a station identification. - Why didn't East European Communist officials say that Radio Free Europe has an astounding influence not only over our society, but over our officials. Why did the leading American scholar write that Radio Free Europe is the single most effective instrument for preventing the indoctrination of the East Europeans with the communist view of the West? - You're listening to a feminist perspective from the public radio service of the university of Kansas KANU Lawrence, listeners can have an opportunity to participate in this program tonight by calling the KENU open line at 8644530. Here again Now is KU Dean of Women Emily-- - And we hope that you will continue to make calls as we have received in the first half of the program, 8644530. And feel free to... Continue to make calls as we have received in the first half of the program, 8644530. And feel free to call at any time. And we were talking about the formation of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Club, in 1919, the first organization that was concerned with working women, right? - Right. - The AUW the first association of women college graduates, College graduates really only, would you tell us a little bit now about what the BNPW stands for? What is its reason for existence? - Well at that first convention when they organized they adopted four objectives. And these objectives have been our objectives ever since. There's been a few wording changes, they were to elevate the standards for women in business and to promote the interests of women in business To bring about a spirit of cooperation and to extend the opportunities. And these are very basic to the women's rights movement. - All right what... How did you get into business profession women? Who was eligible? - Well, you have to be employed, gainfully employed. You have to be a good moral character, you have to be proposed for membership by a member of the club and your application needs to be approved by two other members in good standing. - So if someone were interested, what would she do? - Well she could contact any member of the club. - Would she have to be employed full-time or-- - No. - Part-time. - If you own property and you manage rental property, if you have investments and you manage your own investments, you need to have income. - So it could be if someone were employed on say a half-time basis with income, would she be eligible-- - Yes she would be gainfully employed. - And once again, if you don't know whether you know a member or not, is there someplace you could call or someplace you could get a name of someone of a member and just to say, I would like to join. - Well we meet the first Tuesday of every month at the Holiday Inn we have a dinner meeting and you could call and make a reservation and attend the meeting. - I think that as far as the people in the Lawrence area are concerned although we do have some listeners and Wichita and Kansas City and other places but as far as Lawrence has concerned that it might simplify things for us just to keep records in our office and you call there and we'll refer you to whoever is the appropriate one to answer your question about a particular organization. - We have an especially interesting meeting plan for tomorrow night. We've invited all the local candidates to appear as sort of a meet the candidate program. And we've had acceptances by 24 of the candidates, and they will be at the meeting around eight o'clock. And we are inviting especially women's groups to come and meet the candidates. And if you have questions well you may ask them. - I think that's real good news. The six candidates to the state legislature are meeting with the women's political caucus tonight. And it makes me feel good to know that they're hearing from a lot of women during this campaign. And certainly the more they hear from us and the more we had the opportunity to ask them questions. I think the understanding will be higher level. - At least they are certainly finding out that there are many women interested in where they stand on all kinds of issues. Well you mentioned the Women's Political Caucus. Jean, would you tell us a little bit about that? And this is a very recent origin isn't is not? - Yes, some of the other organizations have relatively long histories. I believe the national Women's Political Caucus was formed just in 1971. So we're just beginning to see what this organization can do, but I'm pleased that the organization already has done some things. I might mention that it was formed nationally in Washington by a group of women who were quite actively involved in the political process. And they decided to get together and to try to form a group of women whose political philosophies differ widely to support the entrance of other women into the political process. So their original goal was to bring women into the mainstream of the political process. Another terminology is to get political power for women and I think they defined political power as active participation in politics at every level. Several of the founders were in fact elected representatives to Congress and one of their first concerns was that women must seek out and win elections to policy-making positions. And so it's been a basic goal since the beginning to help women choose to run for office and to help them win the primary elections and general elections. The national caucus also urged states to form state level caucuses, to deal with statewide issues and again statewide participation in politics. And that happened in Kansas in the spring 1972, just last spring. It happened that in Kansas there was a local caucus before there was a state caucus. The women of Wichita were inspired by Bella Abzug to form a local caucus and they invited the women from the rest of the state to come and talk over whether we saw a need for a state caucus. And so after the state caucus was formed last spring, groups went home and several different communities found there was enough interest to start local caucuses. So the Lawrence caucus has existed for a very few months. The Kansas caucus, a couple of months longer and the national caucus is hardly a year old. - Nice You have to belong to a particular political party to be in this caucus? - There are no requirements of membership except an interest in the political process. And in fact, we actively search out members of both major political parties and women who represent very different segments of the community - That I understand this one of the basic principles, isn't it? It isn't a question of what political party you belong to? But to get people, to get women interested in the political process and to take part in it. - There's a lot of trust that women will do what they think is best once they're involved in the process. And we're not going to say if we support these women and don't support these women but it's just get everyone involved and then they will align themselves with whatever groups they choose. - I was thinking of the name, Marilyn Wells. I was glad to hear there were people in Wichita who were listening. She convened and in serving as president of the NOW Chapter in Wichita and it's the same woman in Wichita who convened the political caucus in Kansas. And she really has accomplished a lot of things, started a lot of things, and obviously from what you say that it's been carried through. - There were also several women candidates in Wichita this summer. So they're left-- - who was the there was a guest speaker at Wichita, the convening thing that was exciting and I mean that Maryland was just-- - Well was there. One of the very inspirational people they had, they also had people who talked from both the concerning both the Republican and the Democratic processes of getting elected to serve as a delegate. - I think it's that very issue where the caucus accomplished the most in the shortest amount of time they quickly saw that women had to be told how to become a delegate, how to get involved in that process. Some have said that the conventions only serve to ratify decisions that have been made before the conventions but even if that's true, women's saw how it was done and if they go to the next convention they will go with far more understanding and expertise about how in fact candidates are nominated. And we in the local caucus have talked with women who were at the Republican conventions and the Democratic convention, and we're very impressed that the national caucus had packets of information available for every woman delegate who had expressed any interest in having that information at hand so that if issues came on the floor the caucus had the statistic, the caucus had the the rationale behind various platform planks. They also had meetings with delegates and argued quite effectively in some of the committee hearings. So I think that maybe even I don't know the cover... The news coverage, wasn't always the best for the actions of the caucus at the conventions. But I think that their presence was felt by the nation and that their efforts were worthwhile. - Isn't it true to Jean that all over the country the local caucuses urge to talk to women with an idea of persuading them to file for elective office this year? - Yes, we spent many hours locally and certainly you didn't do visiting with women whose names had been brought up by someone in the community as people who would be qualified, effective legislators, or commissioners, or whatever the office might be. And we visited with these women and ask them if they had ever considered running for office. The almost unanimous reaction we all found was no I've never considered running for political office. And even though we were discouraged that we didn't come up with a whole group of women candidates locally we think that a lot of women are now thinking about the next election. And that is seen as a possibility. - Would you say that they're needed in our own legislature? We have two women I believe in the house of representatives no senators, now the one woman Senator we had resigned and was replaced by a man. What difference does it make the opinion of our panelists? - When legislation comes up about driver education, driving licensing requirements, public health and safety, education, how to finance education? I think there ought to be 50% of the population more than 50% representative passing such legislation. And I don't think that a woman's vote is important only on peculiarity domestic issues. I think women are... Good women that is, our apt to do a better job of doing their homework at the legislature. I think it's appalling that some of our legislators and I don't mean from Douglas County, but some of the men you can see in Topeka, go to committee meetings without having done one lick of work before they vote on whether or not to send a bill to the floor. I can't imagine that women would do that, I'm sure there are women would be that bad. - Certainly they couldn't do anything but upgrade the level of legislation in - In the group political organization I work with we found qualified women but the ones we found were gainfully employed with nice jobs and they couldn't afford to abandon their financial position. Because they were dependent on their own a lot of them that you know they work - Working for money. - I think they were going to have to make a more flexible arrangement for people who are gainfully employed and want to be elected representatives. Almost all of the men who are legislators are gainfully employed in some way, but their employment seems to be the kind that frees them during the period of time their legislature and women are far more often in salary positions. When you're very right, their job would be in jeopardy. - It takes about I believe they figured it it up to about $1,700 for the position to run for. Well that's a lot of money. - You make the campaign for the legislature. - Just the least you do. - On the other hand, while it's more difficult for fully employed women to work in the legislature because they're on salary jobs I agree. There are more women who are free pretty much at the day, every day of the week, and I couldn't really devote a 40 hour week to the legislature and 80 hour a week if necessary in the closing weeks. Whereas many simply can't. - We hear a lot of women are looking for satisfying part-time employment. That is what a job in the Kansas legislature could be, very satisfying part-time employment. And we did visit with a lot of women who were not employed and the reasons they felt they... Well many reasons they felt they couldn't run but often they felt they couldn't run because there were children at home or else they felt they were too young and unknown in the community or too old, and couldn't go through the campaign community. Generally we were the one of very few people who had approached these women as being candidates. In other words they didn't feel that there was a wealth of support awaiting their announcement has a candidate. Again I'm glad to hear that your organization visited with women because sometimes we felt that we were the only group doing that. - Now in addition to the very recently formed National Women's Political Caucus, we have three or four other kinds of organizations that have come into being in the latter half of the '60s. And how about which there has been a lot of talk, some of it very inadequate. Last night a local organization was formed in Lawrence and of the National Organization for Women. And I'd like for Bonnie to tell us a little about that because Bonnie who has served as the convener for the meeting. - Well, 35 people came more so over 35 people came and with variety of impulses mostly they were just kind of ready to do something. And very many came saying, I don't think I'll join, I don't plan to join now but I wanna find out. And before the evening was over 18 had joined quite a few more are joining. Task forces had been formed in Lawrence. There are perhaps 33, 35 task forces at the national level of NOW. And we chose eight in Lawrence people who were there last night wanted to work on the task forces is that got done. Got temporary officers elected and passed our national bylaws, that was in two and a half hours. There's just no telling what we'll do or our second meeting, which is next Sunday night at 7:30 at the UCCL. - Open to whom? - Anyone who wants to come. Anyone who's interested in equality for women and a more liberated way of life for all people. - Now it's seems these many people showed interest, could you tell us a little about the National Organization for Women, what did you tell them which got them interested? - I think primarily told them the kinds of things that were going, the wide range of things that were going on from work with the FCC to change the image of women there, change the utilization of women and the hiring of stations that are licensed by the federal government operate to the image of women everywhere. The way that women are shown in advertisements, the way women are treated in employment. I think that some of the things that was most surprising to the people there were the numbers of legislative helps that are now available to us before that women are not familiar with the EOC, with compliance and enforcement of the federal guidelines can do if they get the money to operate with can do much to eliminate the inequality that women experience in work now. Well a lot of people who came in didn't know that, that was available. And were happy that it was and we're happy that there was an organization with 10,000 members over the country. Many of them were committed to get the EOC, to do its job. We had a childcare task force form, we've had a masculine mystique task force formed that had to do with what a man experiences in this training to become a macho man who can run the world and never weep. That was their reproduction and population task force was formed. There's a variety of ways to work for equal rights for women and in OW it goes across the board. It's all available, all kinds of work all you have to do is be interested in equal rights for women, full participation of women with men in the operation of this country - Would you say they're really interested in equal rights for everyone the women being the ones that have been the most left out in terms of the total-- - Yeah I think that there are a few who are more interested in the liberation of men and women than they are in equal rights at this point. And I think that there are a few that at the time equality is achieved would not be interested. In a basic way, in a freeing of men and women from the kinds of restrictions that make us partly impotent. - Now we have a very short time left, we have not talked about the Women's Equity Action League. There has been a considerable discussion in the newspaper about this organization. Most of it from the point of view of those who are members including myself of course, and great many other professional women. A source of some annoyance and certainly some amusement. The Women's Equity Action League is probably the least radical of almost any movement that we can think about. That is they definitely do not believe in demonstrations or picketing or any rather flamboyant kinds of activities, which some other organizations and at least some chapters of certain organizations like the National Organization for Women would not cover at all. Such as the taking over the offices the journal. Whatever is needed they're willing to do, but the Women's Equity Action League which hasn't as membership I believe practically every Congress woman, great many educators, probably more of the women lawyers than they are not members operate in a pretty patient and but determined in diplomatic ways to accomplish of their goals and their goal courses that of equality for all people and helping women assume what they believe to be their rightful place in the society. The place where the Women's Equity Action League got to his greatest publicity was in connection with the formal charges that were filed against the colleges and universities. Although I think the National Organization for Women has filed their problem. - Filed good many yeah. - And they have supported one another of course with Amicus briefs on the kinds of cases that were taken to court, both of these organizations do have a legal defense branch for especially cases that have some carry over value to large numbers of people and they have been most successful and pursuing them. - Yeah it's probably worth saying that these aren't just picky kinds of feelings about the universities. It doesn't happen that women walk around and say yeah I don't feel so good here, let's file a suit. A year or so ago which was the last tabulation that I read, women employed at the university level when they happened to get promoted were paid on the average of $2,000 less than a man doing the same job. Now that's not just a picky kind of thing that irritates mildly women all over the country are saying why and filing suits. So it's not just a win and it's not limited to just a few women who are interested. - I mean it's now of course, heavily supported by a law which also denies to an employer the right to any kind of... What's the word? They can take action against the person-- - Oh retaliation. - Retaliation, that's right. Which of course as a tremendously helpful thing and getting things. - Yeah, there's something to the idea that rather than gripe you should file a suit because you can be reprimanded or fired I suppose for griping and being discontent being making everybody uncomfortable but you're kind of protected if you filed suit. - That's true. I think we've not done justice by any means the League of Women Voters tonight one of our oldest organizations or to the caucuses within the academic disciplines, which have something to do with the kind of thing that we've been talking about and connection with universities. But at least I'd like to say that practically every discipline has formed a caucus within it and that as far as the as the academic associations are concerned the great strides have been made. Now whether or not these strides have come down to the local departmental levels and colleges and universities is another matter. And it's something toward which these associations no doubt will continue to work. I have two announcements, one of a set of programs on women in politics, a three-day seminar presented by the KU commission on the status of women on October the 10th, 11th, and 12th. Culminating on the 12th with a speech by the honorable Shirley Chisholm in connection with the SUA speakers forum. October the 10th, 11th, and 12th. The 10th on gaining political influence, on Wednesday affirmative action, the case against KU. And it was Thursday, a speech by presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm. My other announcement is again the program the one day workshop for the over 21 woman. Everything you've always wanted to know by going back to school, but we're afraid to ask the over 21 woman on October the 17th. If there are women in our listening audience who would like to attend this program, the cost is $5. But if there are those who wish to attend and cannot afford the $5 from the household budget to that week, all you need to do is to let the people in continuing education know, call us if you don't recall the address and arrangements will be made for you to attend. We appreciate very much your joining us tonight, we hope that you'll join us again next Monday at seven o'clock for another issue of a Feminist perspective