Resolutions & Campaigns
The WI has a long history of campaigning on a wide range of issues that matter to women and their communities. Over the past 100 years, WI members have campaigned to empower and support women within society, exerting their individual and collective influence; brought a series of controversial issues into the public domain; and brought about many changes in legislation and government policy. These national campaigns, called 'resolutions' are voted on by all WI members each year.
At a local level, WIs are encouraged to support groups and charities that are important to their communities.
National Resolutions
Formed in 1915, the WI has a long history of campaigning on a wide range of issues. WI campaigns are about changing things for the better and tackling the issues that matter to members. Members are at the heart of the WI and they play a central role in bringing issues onto the WI's national agenda through our public affairs and campaigning. From equal pay to climate change, from gaps in the midwifery workforce to the plight of the honey bee, WI members have embraced a diverse set of challenges and built a reputation for the WI as a practical and ambitious organisation that doesn't shy away from tricky issues. Our resolutions and mandates process means every campaign starts within our membership. Read more about the wide range of WI campaigns and some recent successes, and see our campaigning history through snapshots going back to 1926. Shortlist of resolutions for the 2020 Annual Meeting 1. A call to increase potential stem cell donor registration There is an urgent need to increase the number of people registered on the aligned UK stem cell registry in order to provide potentially life-saving treatment to people of all ages with certain blood cancers. We call on all WI members to promote registration to the database to avoid people dying whilst waiting for a match. 2. Female crash test dummies Women are significantly more likely to die, or be seriously injured, in car crashes than men. The WI calls on the government to mandate equitable testing with female crash test dummies to that of male dummies in regulatory vehicle safety tests; and for consumer organisations, such as EuroNCAP, to include a gendered breakdown in their published results. 3. End modern slavery There are tens of thousands of victims of modern slavery hiding in plain sight in the UK. Modern slavery has severe consequences for the health and mental wellbeing of survivors. The NFWI calls on Government to protect victims of modern slavery in the first instance and deliver longer term support to help them rebuild their lives. We call on our members to raise awareness of the prevalence of modern slavery throughout society and to campaign to defeat it. 4. Time to talk about death and dying 64% of people in the UK think that we do not talk enough about death in this country, yet these conversations can be really helpful in enabling people to receive the end of life care they would want. In order to demystify a natural part of life, and support more people to share their wishes, the NFWI calls upon members to encourage open discussions about death and dying. 5. Protect our precious helium Helium is a precious resource that is widely used in healthcare, medical and scientific research, but it is non-renewable and in short supply. The NFWI calls on WI members to help raise awareness of the need to conserve helium, and on government and industry to work together to ensure it is used responsibly, and to support innovative research that could address the shortage such as reducing use or improving capture and recycling. The timetable for the 2019/20 Resolution is: 1 July 2019 Mailing - Resolution submission forms sent to federations and WIs. 13 September 2019 Closing date for resolutions to be submitted to the NFWI. The federation deadline is earlier (check with your federation) 23 September 2019 Federation shortlisting representatives notified of details of resolution shortlist selection meeting. Resolutions longlist circulated. 1 October 2019 Federation representatives meet to compile shortlist of resolutions, supported by NFWI trustees and staff as appropriate. 1 November 2019 Shortlist resolution resources including videos and PowerPoint presentations published on NFWI website 20 November 2019 WI Life - Shortlisted resolutions, paragraphs of essential facts and points, and selection slip appear in November issue of WI Life. Late Nov 2019–early Feb 2020 Federations and WIs hold meetings to discuss the shortlisted resolutions. Members select the resolution they support the most. 14 February 2020 Deadline for resolution selection results to be returned to federations. 21 February 2020 Deadline for federations to return tallied selection results to the NFWI. Late February 2020 NFWI Board of Trustees finalises resolution/s for 2020 Annual Meeting agenda, based on number of selections from WI members. Memo is sent to federations confirming the outcome. 1 April 2020 Mailing - Annual Meeting resolution/s briefings and wording sent to federations, WIs and WI Advisers. April 2020 WI Life - Annual Meeting resolution/s published in WI Life. April & May 2020 Federations and WIs hold meetings to discuss the Annual Meeting resolution/s. WIs vote for or against one or more resolutions, or give their delegates discretion*. 1 May 2020 Deadline for resolution amendments and urgency resolutions sent to the NFWI. 4 June 2020 Vote on resolution/s held at the Annual Meeting. |
Local Support Each year, Groombridge WI members select a local group or charity to support, with the funds we have raised over the year. For 2018, we decided to support The Pickering Drop In Cancer Centre donating all funds we raised throughout the year. The centre is a self-funding registered charity. It was established by a group of cancer patients, who recognised the need to somewhere to go, to relax and talk with others in a similar situation. They also realised that families, friends and carers needed a place to find information and talk freely, without burdening the patient, or each other. Find out more about the Centre by clicking below The Pickering Drop in Cancer Centre |
