-Kirjoittanut

datkoa

Ensiksikin lomien ja vapaa-
pdivien saannissa olen koko-
naan veturimestarin armoilla,
Enka saa kesdlomaanikaan ke-
salla, niinkuin ne, jotka ovat ve-
turimestarin suosiossa,”

Nayttaakseni jollakin ta-
voin puolueettomuuttaan, aija
ikaankuin lepytellakseen mi-
nua, sanoi:

No, mind nyt otan puhelun
sinne Sortavalaan ja jarjestan
sen lomajutun... Mutta alkaa
tulko tanne toiste vaivaamaan
minua noin mah int
jen takia!”’ ;

*Herra insinGdrista voi asi-
ani tuntua vahapatdiselta, mut-
-ta minulle se on ensiarvoinen,”

Nyt han naytti saaneen mi-
nusta jo kyllikseen. Vihaisesti
kattaan heiluttaen han hoputti
minua kuin kerjalaista:

_ *Painukaa nyt jo pellolle...
minun on mentava neuvottelui-
hin!’ 7

Vielé.samana iltana mat-

kustin takaisin Joensuuhun. Sa-

maan junaan oli kytketty myés-
kin tasavallan presidentin vau-
nu presidentti Kydsti Kallio
matkusti siina Pohjois-Karja-
laan tarkastusmatkalle. Mielee-
ni muistui tall6in eras pieni va-
likohtaus niilté paivilta, jolloin
rakensimme rautatieta silloisen
kulkulaitosministerin maatilan
kohdalla Nivalassa.

Kulkulaitosministeri ja
rakennusmestari
vastakkain...

Tama tapaus sy6pyi muis-
tiini silloin, kun rakensimme
ylikaytavaa Heikkilan pellolle

They are on their way!

By Jim Tesier

Ever since Betty Friedan
bounced onto the North Ame-
rican scene with her ‘Feminine
Mystique’ a new consciousness
about the unequal status of
women, in real terms, has been
shaking our society.

In his discussions with
German feminist and socialist
leader Clara Zetkin, Lenin
clearly pointed out that women
could never have social equality
until they had economic equali-
ty. He stressed they had to be
liberated from the kitchen and
have an equal place and equal
opportunity in the work-place.
These discussions were almost
60 years ago. |

This is. one of the areas of
social activity in the German
Democratic Republic where
fantastic progress has been
made. The statistics are over-
whelming, and impressive in
the extreme. For example,
public life women account for
more than a third of all elected
representatives and judges,
Eighty-six per cent of all wo-
men of working age are wage
earners and enjoy equal pay for
work of equal value, alongside

men. Women constitute just
about half the total work force.
In the GDR colleges and
universities women have a
slight edge in numbers, indi-
cating they are certainly not
going to be left behind in future
social activity. —

Leaders in the GDR rea-
dily confirm there are still prob-
lems. It is a certainty that equal
rights for women cannot be
achieved overnight. Even
though those rights for equal
status of men and women is
enshrined in law in the German
Socialist state, it takes a long
time to change people’s attitu-

des.

It isn’t only a question of

men accepting women in nearly
every position in society, it; is
also a question of women them-
selves being able to handle such
equality, and have a happy
married and home life besides.

Of course all. talk of sex
equality has to take onto ac-
count the special child-bearing
role of women. That’s why they
are barred from hazardous and
dangerous occupations, such as
mining and high rigging. On the
Other hand, women have to
know their youngsters are in

good hands while they are at

work,

The daycare centres in the
GDR are a source of national
pride. Scientifically conceived
and operated, they stress fun
activities, which teach children

to get along with one another as
social beings, and to develop
manual and digital dexterity.
They engender a love of the
arts, particularly singing, pain-
ting and playacting. The teac-

hers are especially trained for

pre-school educational work.

While the demand for

pre-school placements has not
yet been fully met, some 58 out
of every 100 children under age

3 go to a daycare centre; 94 of

every 100 youngsters between
the ages of 4 to 6 go to a
kindergarten. Without that kind

of a practical back-up, all talk of

sexual equality would be windy
‘rhetoric! . ft

Resolving
Women’s Problems

On the afternoon of April

13, we met with a delegation of

local leaders of the Women’s
Democratic Federation of Gei-
many. One of» them ‘was: a

%

joutaisi tekemaankaa

eae

Nivalassa. Nostelin parhaillaan
Harakallani kivid paikoilleen,
kun nain sarkapukuisen isanta-
miehen astelevan tieta pitkin
meita kohti. Han pysahtyi aivan
lahellemme ja jai juttelemaan
vasta askettain saapuneen, ar-
vonsa tuntevan mestarin kanssa.
en kuullut, mita han kysyi mes-
tarilta, mutta mestarin toykean
vastauksen kuulimme kaikki:
Mita se kaikille moukille
kuuluu, kuinka ty6 tehdaan,

odottakaa vain ja katselkaa sit-

ten valmista!”’

Isantamies tuntui myénte-
levan vain rauhallisesti:

No, eipa ei... Eihan se
minulle vahaakaan kuulu, mut-
ta kun tie sattuu kulkemaan
maani ohi, niin tulinpahan ky-
syneeksi.”

Arvonsa tunteva mestari ei
malttanut pitaa vielakadan suu-
tansa kiinni, vaan jatkoi:

“Rihan tassa sitten muuta
n kuin ty-
perille tatonjusseilt viisautta
jakamaan.”

Mestari kdansi selkansa ja
meni pois. Isantamies jatkoi
my6skin matkaansa, itsekseen
my haillen.

Kun han oli kavellyt niin
pitkan matkan paahan, ettei pu-
he enda kuulunut, kysyi kivi-
tyOmies Hiltunen mestarilta;

*"Tietéakés mestari, kuka
tuo isanta on?”’

Mestari kohautti

Sl

olkapai-

medical doctor and member of
parliament, a very down-to-
earth type. We learned in our
lengthy discussion the WDF
plays a very active role in the
local and national life of the
people, It is particularly geared
to resolving problems of wo-
men. In the County of Gera, for
example, the WDF operates
1,031 branches with a mem-
bership of 75,000. Their inf-
luence is much greater than -
even these figures indicate.

They are active in home-
and-school activities, discuss
economic plans and make sug-
gestions to government and
local authorities,
seminars on politics, culture,
science and recreation, while
Carrying on individual discus-
sions with women who have
problems in the home or
neighborhood.

In fact, every branch of the
WDF has a consulting centre,
in which family counselling is
an important function. They
have four committees that carry
out special tasks: 1. Home care
and appliance maintenance. .2.
Preparation for marriage; sex-
ual consultation; home-making;
hobbies; folk art. 3. Family
health; diet and exercise. 4.
‘Legal advice; how to get a loan;
how to-build a home; family

affairs.

The women in the German
Democratic Republic ‘are a
powerful force — and they |
know it..On the basis of the job .,

‘they have done to help rebuild
the’ economy and social struc- ©

organize

Ja Hiltunen iatkoi:

"Mina vain ajattelin, etté
hyva taitaisi olla tietaa, han oli
kulkulaitosministeri Kallio,”

_ Mestari lensi korviin saakka

punaiseksi... eika han saanut
sanaakaan suustaan. Minusta
tuntui kuin han olisi haukkonut
ilmaa. Odottamatta enempiad
selityksia, han harppasi isanta-
miehen perasté ja me ndimme
kohta, kuinka mestarin hattu
nousi korkealle talonpojan
edessa | |

Pitipas herra
kerran sanansa...

Saavuttuani takaisin Joen-"

suuhun, kavaisin pikimmiltaan
kotona ja menin sitten tallille
tiedustelemaan veturimestarilta
kesalomaani. _
“Niin, se kesdlomanne... se
on nyt hyvalla kantilla,” sanoi
veturimestari, "saatte kiittaa
varikonpaallikk6a siita, etta
annetaan nyt sille Normille ko-
konaisen kutkauden loma, ettei
se aina rekkuloi.”’ |
Mina arvasin, etta henkilé-
kunnan asiain hoitaja Rautatie-
hallituksesta oli soittanut vari-
konpaallikdlle, joten hanen oli
pakko my6ntaa minulle loma,

vaikka veturimestari ei tahtonut |

tunnustaa, mista kenka puris-
taa. \

Kun sitten pyysin matkalip-
pua veturimestarilta, lahteak-
seni matkoille hermojani le-
puuttamaan, toi han minulle li-
pun, tyrkkasi sen t6ykeasti kou-
raani ja huomautti:,

Sina on lippu, mutta pita-
kaa varanne etta olette saatavis-

ture in their country, they have
earned their certain place. Hats
off to women in the GDR! They
are on their way.

* As of January 1977
maternity leave was prolong-
ed to six months for the first
child. For second and sub-
sequent children working
mothers are given the option
of taking one year paid leave
\while having their job gua-
ranteed.

Interest-free loans of

: This new mother will be able to spend the next ‘six months at home.
with her new baby. For any subsequent children she can stay off
“work for up to a year with full pay and her job is kept Waiting for her.

tulee pitimaan kuulustelua lu- |
vattomasta _ poistumisestanne |

tyds ti ”
Bk melkein holmistynyt
mokomasta uutisesta,.. Joko
taallakin oli paasty jionitteluts-
Sa niin pitkalle? Takertumatta

sen enempéa koko juttuun, sa-
noin veturimestarille rennosti:

*Kylla se on kukkua, etta
mina uhraan kesalomani kuu-.
lusteluihin! Kun mina nyt lah-
den lomaile, en pista nokkaani
kuukauteen tanne tallille, vaik-
ka olisi kymmenen kuuluste-
lua.”
intoili

Veturimestari taas

puolestaan:

”*Sitten taitaakin olla paras-.

ta, etta kasaatte heti kamppeen-
ne ja kiikutatte ne taaltd hel-
vetin kuuseen! Eropassinne vi-
seerataan valmiiksi siihen men-
nessa, kun lomanne loppuu,
koska tassa rupeatte réyhkei-
leméan.”

"Ei puhuta mistaan réyh-
keilystaé, mina tahdon vain lo-
mani aikana lepuuttaa hermoja-
ni ja maarata itse ajastani.”

Murta veturimestari ei hel-
littanyt.

Jos jaksonpaallikké tulee™
tarkastukselle lomanne aikana,
pidetaan asiastanne kuulustelu
joka tapauksessa.. vai luulette-
ko olevanne sellainen herra,
etta teidin asianne vuoksi yk-
sistdan jaksonpaallikk6 tanne
matkustaisi, Taitaa jo tuulla
housuihin, koska ette uskalla
tulla kuulusteluun?”

“EI pahasti, mutta kuten jo
Sanoin, en ole kuukauteen ta-

vattavissa ja jos luulette voivan-

ne’ antaa minulle potkut noin
vain, niin olkaapa hyval”
" Sanoin ja painoin tallin oven
kiinni.

| Jdatk.
9,000 marks ($2,500) are
available to married couples,
repayment being partly or
wholly remitted ‘if one or
more children are born. In
addition 1,000 marks is gi-
ven the mother for each child
born. EO,

il

rs
Be es One s

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