Joint Committee on Women and Employment

Date: 25 Jul 2007

From: National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women - NACEW oral history project

By: Orr, Elizabeth Welch, 1929-2021

Reference: OHInt-0865-03

Description: Interview with Elizabeth Orr (nee Entrican), born Wellington in 1929. Talks about her family background in Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand, and female role models. Refers to childhood health problems that interrupted her schooling. Mentions attending University and then marrying. Talks about teaching at Victoria University English Department, with a break when her children were born. Outlines the background to the National Advisory Council for the Employment of Women (NACEW). Discusses women's organisations in the 1950s that belonged to the National Council of Women, their emphasis on women in the home, and the change to interest in employment of women in the 1960s. Comments on the Joint Committee on Women and Employment, set up at the end of a conference in the mid 1960s, negotiations with Tom Shand (Minister of Labour), the establishment of NACEW in 1966 and its terms of reference. Mentions that the early Council included both men and women, and the composition changed markedly over the years. Refers to the lack of employer and union representatives initially. Discusses NACEW's work in the late 1960s on the education of girls and later on the education of women and part-time employment. Mentions that childcare and equal pay for work of equal value were issues by the early 1970s but without results at the time. Refers to the efforts of Rita King and Ria McBride for pay equity, and the Government Service Equal Pay Act 1960. Discusses the background of the Equal Pay Act 1972 for the private sector, its weaknesses, people involved in its development, and discord in Cabinet over the Act. Comments on the lack of resources within the Department of Labour for publicising and overseeing implementation of the Act. Discusses how changes in the leadership in the Department of Labour in the 1970s with the retirement of Noel Woods affected NACEW. Talks about the deterioration of relations between NACEW and the Department of Labour over the Maternity Leave and Employment Protection Act 1980, and refers to legislative proposals opposed by Robert Muldoon. Comments on the impacts of Sonja Davies, Ruth Richardson and Claire Drake on the Council. Mentions retiring from the Council in 1979 and comments on the Council's impact on attitudes among officials. Discusses the impact of her husband Gordon Orr who was Secretary of Justice during the period when several progressive Acts were passed including the Human Rights Commission Act, Matrimonial Property Act, no fault divorce and legalised abortion. Interviewer(s) - Susan Fowke Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-015859 - OHC-015862 Tape numbers - access to OHC-015861 embargoed Quantity: 1 printed abstract(s). 4 C60 cassette(s). 1 interview(s). 3.05 Hours and minutes Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-5699. Search dates: 1929 - 2007

Date: 7 May-17 Jun 1965

From: Orr, Elizabeth Welch, 1929- : Research and literary papers

Reference: MS-Papers-8584-06

Description: Contains submissions to the Commission of Inquiry into Vocational Training by the Post-Primary Teachers' Association, the Wellington Polytechnic Council, the New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, The Joint Committee on Women and Employment, the Department of Industries and Commerce. Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: 10 Sep 1964-27 Feb 1968

From: King, Rita, fl 1960-1988 : Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-8541-27

Description: Contains papers, agenda and minutes for the Joint Committee on Women and Employment. Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: 30 Jun 1965-11 Oct 1976

From: King, Rita, fl 1960-1988 : Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-8541-21

Description: Contains financial information from the Joint Committee of Women and Employment. Also contains newspaper clippings on women in employment and correspondence relating to the National Advisory Council on Employment and Women replacing the Joint Committee. Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: 1955-1967

By: Joint Committee on Women and Employment

Reference: MS-Papers-1721

Description: The records include material from the study conference, minutes, agendas and correspondence of the Committee, proposals and submissions prepared by the Committee and other women's organisations concerning education and employment of women, and other miscellaneous material. In November 1964 a conference, `Women's Contribution in a Changing Society', was held at Victoria University of Wellington, after which a Joint Committee on Women and Employment was formed, with members drawn from the New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, the New Zealand Federation of University Women, the National Council of Women, and other organisations. Quantity: 5 folder(s). 0.12 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss, typescripts and printed matter Finding Aids: Inventory available. Transfers: To Book Collections - Dept of Industries and Commerce publications. See inventory for details.

Date: 1965-Dec 1970

From: King, Rita, fl 1960-1988 : Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-8541-29

Description: Contains reports, submissions, correspondence, minutes and agenda for the Joint Committee on Women and Employment. Also contains a proposal by the Committee for the establishment of an Advisory Council on the Employment of Women. Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: 6 Jul 1967-20 Aug 1968

From: King, Rita, fl 1960-1988 : Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-8541-28

Description: Contains correspondence, agenda and minutes from the Joint Committee on Women and Employment. Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: 1964-1970

By: Wellington Business and Professional Womens Club

Reference: MS-Papers-5889

Description: Papers of Dorothy Jamieson, relating to her work on the Joint Committee on Women and Employment. Includes copies of minutes, agenda, correspondence, reports and submissions; also includes printed matter. Source of title - Supplied Dorothy Jamieson, a former journalist and president of the Business and Professional Women's Club, was secretary of the Joint Committee on Women and Employment from 1964 to 1970 Quantity: 2 box(es). 0.06 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss, typescripts, printed matter

Date: 1967

From: National Council of Women of New Zealand : Records

Reference: MS-Papers-1371-045

Description: Includes reports on - N.Z. Standards Association - Corso - National Commission for UNESCO - Joint Committee on Women and Employment - National Housing Council - Discipline in schools - Homosexuality - Dr Doris Gordon Memorial Fund - Proposed referendum on hours of sale of liquor - Women's Viewpoint Quantity: 1 folder(s).