Commission members to be given the boot.

Sen. Yvette Swan singled out Commission chairman the Rev. Canon James Francis in her attack. She said it was wrong for a man who does not allow women to stand in his pulpit to head the Commission.

Her outburst came at a meeting of the Business and Professional Women's Association at the Freemasons' Hall in Hamilton. It was attended by guest speaker Human Affairs Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill.

Although a past BPWA president and a Government senator, Sen. Swan stressed she was speaking personally. A former Human Rights Commission member herself, Sen. Swan said she wanted an organisation "more reflective of the community''. Government should review the Commission and replace its members, she told Mr. Dill.

Mr. Dill told the meeting: "I'm going to ensure the Human Rights Commission is more reflective of the community.'' Afterwards, Sen. Swan, also past president of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, told The Royal Gazette she believed only three members of the Commission were women. The remaining members -- about 10 or 11 -- were men, she said.

"I don't think it right that Mr. Francis who does not allow women to stand in his pulpit should be the chairman. I think he knows my views.'' BPWA president Mrs. Dolores Darrell said Sen. Swan's comments were not an expression of her organisation's position. But she stressed the BPWA was concerned at the lack of women members of Government boards.

Mrs. Darrell said the BPWA also wanted Bermuda to be included in the Convention of the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.

She called on Government to ensure the Island was linked to the group.

Earlier, Mr. Dill pledged Government's commitment to stamping out sex discrimination. He said organisations such as BPWA would have their say in how this was tackled.

There would be "focus groups'' up and down the Island as Government sought people's views. Mr. Dill also hinted at a possible White Paper, along the lines of the one on racism.

He believed institutionalised sex discrimination ran as deep -- perhaps deeper even -- than institutionalised racism.

Mr. Dill devoted most of his speech to the White Paper on racism, and outlined what Government was trying to achieve. He told the BPWA that racist acts would be made criminal offences.

Another key initiative was the creation of a Government commission.

Called the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE), it would work with employers, unions, and institutions to promote better race relations through education and social programmes.

CURE would issue "codes of practice'' to eliminate both race and gender discrimination in the workplace. The codes, prepared after consultation with employers and workers, would be non-binding at first.

"Compliance will be reviewed after one year and, if it is necessary, Government will not hesitate to make the codes legally binding.'' Mr. Dill, however, said he was against a "quota system'' for ensuring employers had a certain number of workers of a particular race. The Human Rights Commission would also be given new powers to make it stronger in combating racism.

For the first time it would be able to launch investigations without receiving a complaint, Mr. Dill said.

Rev. Canon James Francis.