A 15-person Women’s Council was this afternoon announced by Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation Neletha Butterfield, to deal with Bermuda’s outstanding women’s rights issues.

“The mandate of the Council will be to empower women to work together toward improving the quality of life for women, families and society,” Ms. Butterfield said.

Urgent issues remain to be addressed from a 1997 women’s issues report, she said. These range from equal pay, workplace sexual harrassment, maternity leave, marriage licenses and violence against women.

For more on this see tomorrow's Royal Gazette