Unionisation and broadening of anti-discrimination regulations to include gender were two pieces of advice lawyer Elizabeth Christopher offered Bermuda Professional Women's Association (BPWA) members yesterday.

Ms Christopher, the BPWA's choice as woman of the Millennium, made her comments at a luncheon held to mark Secretary's Day.

She said the Island's secretaries should "organise themselves around their vocation'' and unionise.

Some 30 percent of all women employed in Bermuda hold clerical positions, noted Ms Christopher, and joining forces would help them "drive their own vehicle for empowerment as women''.

Unionise to empower gender Ms Christopher added: "Unions encourage people, who would not otherwise do so, to accept the mantle of leadership.

"Civil servants, who have considerably more job security than many other groups, have a union which operates on many levels.

"Don't be afraid to contact existing unions that we have in Bermuda for advice. Be aware that secretaries' unions exist in other countries. Ultimately it is down to secretaries to empower yourselves.

"Women have led the Bermuda Public Services Association for a long time and I am sure they would help,'' she added.

Turning to the Committee for Unity and Racial Equality's regulations, Ms Christopher said it was just as important to collect statistics on gender as it was to collect those on race.

She said Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister had said the regulations were needed "to make sound policy decisions based on accurate information''.

And she asked: "Are men disproportionately hired? Are women disproportionately fired? Do women get opportunities to retrain? "One fourth of all households worldwide are headed by women and many other households are dependent on female income even where men are present,'' she continued.

`What are Bermuda's statistics in that regard?'' Ms Christopher said Mr. Lister, by virtue of his portfolio, should insist that gender be included in the regulations.

"The Minister responsible is the Minister for Development and Opportunity and Government Services, the same minister who deals with CURE deals with human rights and, by extension, women's issues,'' she said. "So why not include gender in the survey that CURE is conducting?'' DISCRIMINATION DIS