UNB Perspectives Alumni Edition | Vol. 11, AL2 | Winter 1985
ALUMNI NEWS MAGAZINE | 100th Anniversary Edition
Ellen King (BA'71, BEd'72) was being challenged by the Soviets to explain New Brunswick's marriage regulations. "Are you barbarians?" they asked.
As assistant deputy minister responsible for the women's directorate in the New Brunswick government, the UNB alumna was part of the Canadian delegation submitting its first report to the committee for the United Nations' convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. A segment of the report indicated that while all other Canadian provinces and territories establish minimum age requirements for marriage-withconsent at 15 years and upward, in the province of New Brunswick no minimum is specified.
"We had over a hundred questions;' recalled Ms. King. "There were 35 or more countries represented;' she said, "and of the 200 people present, many were from the eastern bloc, such as, Bulgaria. Yugoslavia and Russia. The meetings were translated into
eight languages.”
- JACKIE WEBSTER
