"At last year's conference we spoke about being more assertive with our husbands," she began. "I am pleased to report that after the 1997 Conference I went home and told my husband that I would no longer cook for him. The first day I saw nothing. The second day I also saw nothing. But on the third day I saw that he cooked a magnificent roast lamb dinner with all the trimmings for the both of us."

The crowd cheered. The second speaker, a large woman from America, stood at the microphone.

"After last year's conference I went home and told my husband that I would no longer do his laundry. The first day I saw nothing. The second day I also saw nothing. But on the third day I saw that he had not only done his laundry, but mine as well."

The crowd cheered even louder. The third speaker was a woman from Ireland.

"I went home to my husband after last year's conference and told him that I would no longer do the shopping for him and if he wanted to eat he'd better do it himself. The first day I saw nothing. The second day I also saw nothing. But by the third day I was starting to see a little out of my left eye."