former head of the group that started a women's movement in Bermuda.

Dr. Yvette Swan, past president of the international Business and Professional Women Association, was commenting after returning recently from the BPW's international conference, which she chaired, in Nagoya, Japan.

One of the highlights of the conference was discussion on violence against women and girls, Dr. Swan said.

In fact, a draft treaty against violence will soon go before the United Nations, she said.

"All women should be treated with respect, not exploited in any way.'' Dr.

Swan, who led the quarter-million-member BPW through four of its toughest financial years, added that statistics proved women tended to "graduate higher in classes''.

"But once they come out of university, they're taken advantage of or looked down upon,'' she said.

"Bermuda must know the worth of its female population.'' Dr. Swan said the BPW also deserved better recognition.

"We speak on the floor of the UN, which many countries cannot do.

"And the BPW is the leading group that started the women's movement.'' But, she said, the powerful women's group which started in 1919, became international in 1930, and can be found in 99 countries, did not get much publicity because it was a group for women.

Also discussed at the conference was the introduction of a common sign language to be used throughout the world and the creation of an exchange programme for 16 to 19-year-old females.

Dr. Swan said she was in the process of developing the programme which will be similar to the Rotary exchange and available to locals. The programme is expected to get underway in 1995.

Dr. Yvette Swan.