28 — THE CITIZEN, Prince Cicorpe — Thursday, November 30, 1978 CO-ORDINATOR OF STATUS OF WOMEN OFFICE Women's rights fighter faces 'uphill battle' ADC. OTTAWA (CP) — Maureen O’Neil’s first claim to modest fame in her new job came the day she led a protest that got the Silver Machine dancers pulled out of a government sponsored charity drive kickoff. Now, the 35-year-old co-ordinator of the federal Status of Women office is on to a bigger, tougher issue: how to convince cabinet ministers to examine the effect of every new government |M)licy on women, particularly their economic situation. With that as a long-term goal, Ms. O’Neil still stands ready with a staff of 13 and an annual budget of $500,000 to ‘‘react quickly to anything we think we can have an immediate impact on.” Her impact on the Silver Machine was swift. Armed with the clout of a deputy minister in her new position, she fired off a letter to an equally senior bureaucrat responsible for the charity drive. She argued that the women, like the men scheduled to appear at the kick-off, should be accomplished athletes and not the scantily-clad Silver Machine dancers familiar to local football fans. Her protest hit the rumor mill, supporters rallied behind her and within hours the Silver Machine appearance was cancelled. That bit of sexism out of the way, Ms. O’Neil now is plotting strategy against politicians who shrug off the high unemployment rate among women on grounds they are working only for fun or luxuries. To her, it’s an uphill battle. “I think that the government reflects very accurately what the mood of society is-and that is that women are secondary workers,” she said in an interivew. “We want to ensure there is alternative pressure developed. To say that the economy can’t absorb women is ludicrous. “I guess the government is also saying the economy can’t absorb Nova Scotia workers,” she adds in sarcastic defiance of repeated statements by Liberal ministers that high unemployment is due largely to increasing participation of women in the labor force. Ms. O’Neil was appointed in September, replacing Julie Loranger who headed the office since 1976 when it was established as a follow-up to government activities during International Women’s Year. Miss Loranger-who was promoted to the Canadian embassy in France-kept her job low profile, kept her office out of controversy and left behind a trail of muffled criticism. A core of feminists in senior government circles welcomes Ms. O’Neil as a veteran of grass-roots women’s liberation work in the 1960s and because of her expertise on social policy drawn from planning jobs with the Manitoba and federal governments. She re|)orts directly to Marc Lalonde. minister responsible for the status of women. Ms. O’Neil also opposes government plans to chop unemployment insurance costs by requiring more work from second time claimants, new members of the labor force and Mechano-type toy may be dangerous Home and Family Hev Christenson Citizen Family Editor Maureen O’Neil has made her presence known. workers returning to the labor force after a long absence. "We feel that women are going to be hit harder than men,” she says, adding that there still is time to change the government’s mind. And soon, she plans to present to cabinet a series of recommendations for government action during the United Nations-declared decade of the woman. A major recommendation is for a systematic analysis of the impact of government policy on women. For example. Ms. O’Neil says the impact of the multibillion dollar northern gas pipeline on native people has been thoroughly examined while its affect on women has virtually been ignored. Her questions: Will it open up traditional or non-traditional jobs for women? Will women be encouraged to participate? What will be the social toll on northern women-broken families, venereal disease? While she concerns herself with these issues, Ms. O’Neil has little empathy with radicals who envisage a society which pays wages for housework. Instead, her concern is centered on teen-aged women shown in a recent Canadian study to expect a future that includes a short post-education spurt of work, marriage, children and a life of so-called domestic bliss. She cringes at evidence they are not facing the real possibility of having to survive as women alone before marriage, after marriage or in place of marriage. '‘It’s so depressing. The attitude change is not there. They’re still being brought up with a dependent mentality.” Ironically, Ms. O’Neil was such a teen-ager herself. Born in Hazelton, B.C., of army parents who lived in many different cities, she planned to finish school, marry, have children, live in middle-class comfort, do charitable work and develop a fine appreciation of music and culture. “I never had career aspirations,” she says. But by age 26, she had finished school, married, had two childen, left her husband and launched a career that led her to the present job. “I really pushed myself into a situation where work wasn’t just a nice idea to keep one occupied. It was a necessity.” She studied sociology in Ottawa and became deeply involved in the women’s movement-organizing rallies for easier abortion laws, campaigning against non-feminist politicians and speaking at consciousness-raising meetings. Devoted to that cause, she went to work for the Manitoba government’s social policy planning secretariat. There she helped draft a policy that has led to centres providing combined health care and social services across the province. “I went out to save the West,” she says fondly. Various jobs in the federal government led her to such activities as statistical analysis, educational projects and finally to policy research and planning in health and welfare for four years. COMING EVENTS Parents should be on the lookout for a Parker Brothers’ Mechanotoy, recalled because of two accidental deaths connected with it. The Riviton Construction toy was recalled when a nine-year-old U.S. boy choked to death on a rubber fastening rivet of the toy. A Citizen survey of all major local toy stores and toy departments showed some stores had already sold the product, but there were no longer any of the toys on the shelves. ‘‘We have probably sold two or three dozen sets so far this year and we sold many more last year, when the product first came out, as it was very popular,” says a spokesman at MAKE A COOKIE JAR Make a large and inexpensive cookie jar by gluing colorful wool around an economy-size. empty peanut butter jar. Woodward’s toy department. Spokesmen for Toys and Wheels and Sears toy department, both at Pine Centre, said they had several boxes of the product, but they were all off the shelves now. Each of them said they had sold at least one Riviton toy each. Spokesmen for Toy Carousel at Woodward’s, Stedman’s toy department and Shopper’s Toyland on the Hart Highway said they had never carried the product. A spokesman for the Hudson’s Bay toy department declined to comment. The Riviton Construction toy complies with all safety requirements for children’s toys despite the accidental death. The toys have been distributed nationally since September 1978. Consumers can return the product for a full refund from the store it was purchased or mail it directly to Parker Brothers, P.O. Box 600, Concord, Ontario L4K 1B7. Coming events should he submitted in writing or by telephone by 11 a.m. the day before they are to appear in The Citi/en except items to appear in Monday’s edition which should be submitted by 11 a.m. Friday. Coming events are free notices for non-profit organizations nnd are published twice only and at least one week apart. A community dinner for Edgewood and North Nechako residents will be held Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. at Edgewood School. Tickets for the dinner are available at North Nechako and Edgewood Schools and must be reserved by Friday. The Sons of Norway Ski Club will hold a ski swap of cross country ski equipment, Sunday from 1 p.m. to4:30 p.m. at the Sons of Norway Lodge, Tabor Lake. For information phone Gretta at 964-4835 or Marilyn at 964-9163. Smoke detector tax break urged LONDON,Ont.(CP) - Chief Ray Morley of the London fire department says there should be no tax on smoke detectors. Morley said in an interview the federal and provincial governments should stop being so greedy and remove? sales tax on such items as smoke detectors. He adddd that manufacture’s should take a little less proft. If prices were more attractive, more people would buy the devices. “More jobs would be created and it would be good for the economy. He advocates use of the devices for the well-being of one’s family and property. “Get a smoke detector and stay alive.” BIRTHRIGHT Emergency Pregnancy Counselling with care and consideration. Confidential. CaIIBirthright 564-0492. 9 a.m - 1 p.m. *100 DOWN! 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Sizes 18 and 20 $68.00 22 and 24 $75.00 A DEFENSIVE DRIVING TIP Perfect driving is like a baseball game: all runs with no errors TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW at Edgewood & North Nechako Schools for the Edgewood Community Dinner SUNDAY, DEC. 10, 5 P.M. at Edgewood School Please buy or reserve tickets by Friday, December 1st. Gitta is Back! Yes . . . Gitta is back at thestudio, refreshed and ready to continue creating beautiful hair designs to make your holiday season a memorable one. Pick a styles . . . any style or ask Gitta to make a suggestion. Call today for your appointment. The HAIR DESIGNERS for MEN & WOMEN 635 George (Across from City Hall) Ph. 562-6241 or 562-6242 i/s Th is Christmas give her a Diamond Give your love lasting beauty. Lasting brilliance. Give her a Siffari diamond. Siffari takes only the finest gem quality diamonds, sets them in a variety of beautiful styles, and guarantees the quality and value of each diamond through Siffari's famous written guarantee. Come in and see the complete Siffari diamond ring collection. The house that won 7 awards in the National Diamond Ring Design Competition. PINE CENTRE MALL ASK ABOUT OUR LAY-AWAY PLAN! FINE GIFTWARE & JEWELLERY 1455-3rd Ave., Downtown Phone 562-3802