ATSA celebrates women in tertiary education.

MEDIA RELEASE

Date: October 2003

Attention: Political/Education Reporters

For: Immediate Release

ATSA celebrates women in tertiary education.

A ‘celebrate women in tertiary education week’ is being held to acknowledge the commitment women make to the future, through undertaking tertiary education.

The week is an Aotearoa Tertiary Students Association, Women in Action (AWA), initiative that runs from the 20-25 October across New Zealand.

“There are many obstacles to women choosing to study, and often we concentrate only on the negative. That women will take longer to pay off their loans, that women face safety and gender discrimination issues on most campuses in New Zealand, this week is about looking at the positive,” Julie Pettett, President of ATSA says.

The celebrate women in tertiary education week is being held to recognise the importance of women in tertiary education in Aotearoa New Zealand and will involve various activities, from BBQ’s to guest speakers, on campuses throughout New Zealand.

“There is a ground swell of women returning to education to empower the future and in many cases that of their children, it is about time we recognised the massive commitment and courage these women have,” says Pettett.

Education is one of the most critical areas of empowerment for women.

Ensuring women receive basic education is a sure way to give them more power over their lives.

The right of women to education is a basic human right enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and also the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

However, millions of women throughout the world never have a chance to learn to read or write. The ‘celebrate women in tertiary education week’ is an appreciation of the freedom New Zealand women have to make positive change in their lives by choosing education.

ENDS

For further comment, contact:

Julie Pettett ATSA National President Cell phone 029 939 1417 (04) 9391417

The Aotearoa Tertiary Students’ Association

Representing University, Polytechnic and Wananga students

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