Campaigns and Public Affairs

The WI is a strong campaigning organisation, over the years we have campaigned on a wide range of issues that matter to women and their communities, including Equal Pay in 1942, Breast Cancer Screening in 1975, Aids in 1986 and the introduction of new legislation EU to reduce the threat of hazardous chemicals in everyday products in 2006. Today our campaigns range from climate change and food waste to ending violence against women. WIs have been a powerful force for change in many situations over the years. See the book "Bows of Burning Gold" by Helen Carey available from CFWI.
Read about the latest Public Affairs activities in Cheshire

Public Affairs SubCommittee

Cheshire Federation has an active Public Affairs Sub-Committee whose members promote the NFWI and county resolutions; represent the WI on several county committees concerned with environmental and social issues; promote international awareness through ACWW - Associated Country Women of the World; have an awareness of modern developments in the science world as it impacts on our lives. The subcommittee also arranges meetings for members throughout the county to raise awareness of issues within their remit.

PALS

Cheshire Federation is unique in having a network of PALs. These are Public Affairs Links. Every WI in Cheshire is invited to have a PAL. 2 meetings are arranged each year by the public affairs subcommittee on topics of particular current interest / concern to which the PALS are invited. They are asked to report back to their WIs. Through the PALS all members are kept up to date on topics as diverse as nanotechnology, the security of patient records, care of the elderly.

Resolutions

Every year WI members put forward resolutions for discussion at the AGM in June. If passed, these then become mandates and form the basis of campaigning activities in the years ahead. For the first time this year every WI member was able to vote individually for the resolution of their choice from this year's shortlist, and food labelling proved a pressing issue across all Federations.
Detailed results can be found here.
Read more about this year's resolution here.

Women and Climate Change

The NFWI is working with Oxfam GB and the Everyone Foundation on a three year development, gender and climate change educational campaign. Women Reaching Women aims to broaden awareness of these issues amongst WI members, their families and communities. Read more about all the projects we have been involved in concerning climate change and sustainability.

SOS for Honey Bees

Every year WI members put forward resolutions for discussion at the AGM in June. If passed, these then become mandates and form the basis of campaigning activities in the years ahead. The Resolution for 2009 is: Honey Bees play a vital role in the pollination of food crops and in our environment. In view of concerns about the accelerating decline in the UK honey bee population, this meeting urges HM Government to increase funding for research into Bee Health.

St.George's Day Big Tidy Up/Litter Campaign

Are you fed up with the litter in your neighbourhood? As requested by the Keep Britain Tidy Movement, a very small group of members from HANDBRIDGE WI in Chester took up arms with The Big Tidy Up Campaign on St.George's Day [ Friday 23rd April 2010 ] and did battle with the unsightly beast [litter!], which is sadly terrorising our city and land! Our target was Grosvenor Park in central Chester from 6pm until 7.45pm on a warm and sunny Spring evening. It really was great fun and so good for our health and waist line! Several passers-by applauded our efforts too! We are planning another 'attack' later in year! Why don't you, too, organise a WI crusade of your own, to clean up your local area and to make it a better place to live in? Join a growing network of people and sign up at www.thebigtidyup.org . Ask your local council to provide litter pickers and bags etc... Have fun and keep fit! YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU!

WI & Oxfam

An update on the NFWI WRW Project with Oxfam - following an interview I did with Oxfam staff in Oxford earlier in the year! Cheshire WI features this month in Oxfam's Spring Magazine 'Inside Oxfam', under the section Community action / Great ways to get involved. The aim of the article is to make Oxfam supporters aware of the NFWI's 'Women reaching Women' project and to show them how Oxfam is working alongside the WI, to encourage people to engage in global issues and to help to overcome poverty in the world, particularly of women. Cheshire WI has been exploring why girls' access to education is so limited and why climate change often hits women hardest! The focus at present is on the eight Millennium Goals - promises that certainly must be kept! However, so many of the goals remain way off target! All details of the project are available on the NFWI website www.thewi.org.uk and online at www.oxfam.org.uk/bigpromise.

For more details, contact Sybil Graham [ 01244 679636 ] sybilgraham@talktalk.net.