Doll's House Finale

Mexico City finally settled down again as the 6,000 or so female--and 240 male--visitors attending the two-week International Women's Year Conference went home. As a parting gift to the women delegates of the U.N.-sponsored affair (TIME, July 7), the Mexican government passed out dolls in wicker baskets. Huffed Australia's delegate Elizabeth Reid: "It never crossed their minds to give them to the men."

Despite the doll debacle and other happenings viewed as sexist, like the sale of souvenir potholders, the conference managed to end on a relatively positive note. The 1,300 official delegates unanimously approved a ten-year World Plan of Action designed to improve the status of the world's 2 billion women. The 48-page plan, like all U.N. resolutions, is not legally binding, but member nations are urged to incorporate it into their own political and economic programs. Australia's Reid worried that the new resolutions would wind up in the "bottom drawers of government."

Many of the proposals stressed basic equalities such as women's right to vote, have the same educational and job opportunities as men and participate in the political processes of their countries. The document included such familiar feminist demands as better child-care facilities, sharing household duties and rewriting textbooks to reflect "an image of women in positive and participatory roles in society."

Control Fertility. The American delegation had lobbied for an amendment proposing that governments grant women complete freedom to "control their fertility." Though abortion was never mentioned, Third World women voted down the amendment as too radical. They passed, however, a surprisingly liberal plank stating that "individuals and couples" should have the means and the right to determine the spacing and number of their children.

Reflecting the conference's long debates, the document led off with a reference to Third World rather than Western issues. Noting that "as a result of the uneven development which prevails in international economic relations, three-quarters of humanity is faced with urgent and pressing social and economic problems," the plan called for a "new economic order." It did not, however, spell out how to achieve it.

Feminist Firecracker. A second document approved by the delegates was more specific. Called the Declaration of Mexico, it urged the elimination of Zionism, colonialism and apartheid. It also referred back to the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States approved by the U.N. General Assembly last December. Under the charter, nations can expropriate foreign properties without guaranteeing equitable compensation, organize commodity cartels like OPEC and otherwise foster their own development. The vote for the Declaration was 89-2, with 18 abstentions. The no votes came from the U.S. and Israel.

Indeed, there was no letup from the global politics that had preoccupied the conference all along. Because she felt that such political discussions deflected interest from matters uniquely concerning women, Franc,oise Giroud, France's Secretary of State for Women's Affairs, termed the conference a "total failure." Other women took a more positive view. Representative Bella Abzug of New York said that while the conference was perhaps "intended as a sop, we did talk about issues, and I believe deeply that we accomplished something." She was so inspired, in fact, that she and two other Congresswomen are sponsoring legislation for a follow-up national conference on women to be held next year in the U.S.--a feminist firecracker of sorts to commemorate the Bicentennial.

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