Say ‘Not in my Name’ to Violence Against Women

Written by Sarah Thomas, Public Affairs Officer at NFWI-Wales

The National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI)-Wales is calling on WI members to recruit male ambassadors to make a stand against Violence Against Women (VAW). The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence started on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of VAW and White Ribbon Day) and ends of 10 December (Human Rights Day).

Last Tuesday (20 November), we held a Candlelight Vigil, sponsored by Joyce Watson AM, outside the Senedd to show solidarity with victims of VAW across the world and send out a powerful message that VAW is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Candlelight Vigil outside the Senedd

Since 2012, NFWI-Wales has engaged WI members in the Not in my Name Campaign which was established in 2012 with Joyce Watson AM, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales.The campaign has seen WI members use their strong community links to recruit male ambassadors from their communities in speaking out against VAW and making a pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about VAW. During the 7 years of the campaign, we have seen groups across Wales, including male choirs, farming unions and sports clubs making a pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about VAW. Campaign supporters have included Christian Malcolm, the WRU, Glamorgan Cricket, Cricket Wales, Newport County Football Club, Wrexham Football Club, Only Men Aloud, Cardiff Blues and the Cardiff Devils.

The prevalence of VAW is shocking and unacceptable.  It is estimated that, every year, around three million women across the UK experience VAW, which includes domestic violence but also rape, forced marriage, sexual exploitation and other forms of abuse and harassment. Over the last year, reports of sexual harassment and abuse have been endemic as we have seen women mobilised to speak up about their experiences through the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.

Whilst women are disproportionately the victims of violence, we should not underestimate the role of men in the prevention and elimination of VAW. We must inspire more men to speak up publicly to challenge the attitudes, behaviours and gender inequalities that contribute to this violation of women’s rights. Men can be agents of change and play a crucial part as positive role models to help us achieve a culture change where VAW is not tolerated by society.

South Wales Fire and Rescue pledging support for the White Ribbon Campaign

It is encouraging to note that more and more public bodies are achieving the White Ribbon UK accreditation status in recognition of their commitment in involving men in speaking out and challenging male violence against women and girls. In October this year, Carmarthenshire County Council, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and Dyfed Powys Police were awarded White Ribbon accreditation. We should also celebrate the fact that South Wales Fire and Rescue Service was the first fire and rescue service in the UK and the world to achieve the White Ribbon status in 2014.

Whilst it is positive to note the commitment being shown to ending VAW, we know that the pace of progress has been slow and much further action, and at a faster pace, is needed if we are to achieve a society where women are treated equally to men and consequently a society where women are free from the fear of violence and abuse. This was reinforced last month when the WI marked 100 years of campaigning and reflected the progress made over the last 100 years through WI campaigns as well as what still needs to change. It was interesting to look back at the early campaigns which from the beginning focussed on achieving equal rights for women and in addressing what was referred to as ‘the unequal moral standard’ or what we would call today ‘the double standard’. Domestic violence was a key concern for WI members in the 1970s and 1980s and saw the WI campaigning for marital rape to be recognised under the law; for funding of refuges for survivors of domestic violence and their children in every county; to increase the severity of rape sentences, to adequately define domestic violence under the law so that women and children in the home were protected, and to make sure that survivors of domestic violence were able to access justice through the courts.

Revisiting these resolutions has brought home how relevant some of these resolutions are today as we continue to campaign for gender equality and the provision of sustainable specialist support services that women, wherever they live, can access. 

Gender inequality is a cause and consequence of VAW and we all have a part to play in challenging attitudes and behaviours that persist in our society - be it in the home, community, workplace or school. In Wales, we are fortunate to have the ground-breaking Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Act in place which focuses on protecting and supporting victims. We must now ensure that the Government delivers on its commitments and that the implementation of the Act does truly make a difference to women’s lives.

Margaret Wintringham: ‘Our Institute MP’

2018 has been an important year for celebrating women’s suffrage and rights. In February we celebrated the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which gave women over 30 with a property qualification the right to vote for the first time. Many of the earliest members of the WI including Lady Denman and Grace Hadow were involved in the suffrage movement and we are proud to recognise their contribution.

Today we mark another milestone as it is 100 years since the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act passed, enabling women to stand for Parliament for the first time. While the WI is non-party political, this anniversary is also special to the organisation.

Margaret Wintringham 1930

Margaret Wintringham was the second female MP to take her seat in the House of Commons and a very active WI member. Margaret was supported by the NFWI in her career and was known as ‘our Institute MP’ by other WI members.

Margaret’s role in Parliament was celebrated in Home & Country, the WI’s membership magazine, which reported:

‘The election of Mrs Wintringham to Parliament is a matter for rejoicing among Institute members, not only because she is a well-known Institute worker, but also because she is the first woman to represent a rural constituency’.

Margaret was elected MP for Louth, Lincolnshire in 1921, three years after the law changed to allow women to stand and two years after her close friend, Lady Nancy Astor, the first female MP, took her seat.  Margaret Wintringham and Nancy Astor worked closely together in Parliament and it is believed Nancy Astor was also a member of the WI, although this is unconfirmed.

The two politicians campaigned in Parliament to maintain the numbers of women police after the First World War, an issue that was also the subject of two WI resolutions passed in 1922 and 1924. With Margaret elected to the NFWI Executive Committee in 1922, it gave the WI a direct line of communication into the House of Commons.

Margaret Wintringham and Nancy Astor 1922

Throughout her three years in office, Margaret Wintringham continued to assist the NFWI with parliamentary matters. She spoke about her work at the NFWI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on numerous occasions and invited members in attendance at the London AGM for a tour around the Houses of Parliament. While on this tour, Margaret told her fellow members that her many years in the WI was the best training she could have had for her work as an MP.

Margaret Wintringham was succeeded in the House of Commons by Arthur Heneage in 1924. She remained part of many social and political women’s organisations for the rest of her life including her role as President of the Women’s Liberal Federation. Margaret Wintringham died in 1955, aged 75. We are proud of the lasting legacy she has left for women in politics and the WI.

 

 

Disley WI commemorates the forgotten women of the First World War

Guest blog written by Sue Boothby, member of Disley WI

When I learned that not a single poppy in the 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' installation at the Tower of London in 2014 was in commemoration of a woman, I set out to put things right.

Paul Cummins and Tom Piper’s display of 888,426 ceramic poppies was undeniable poignant and a fitting dedication to the fallen British and Colonial soldiers of the First World War, however the number provided to them by the War Graves Commission excluded any female casualties.

Disley WI wanted to remember and commemorate these forgotten women and so set out to try to find out how many women lost their lives in service.

This was not an easy task – the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) does maintain a database of casualties of the First World War however they acknowledged this could contain inaccuracies due to omissions in original information provided by the Military Authorities, or gaps as a result of computerisation and scanning of original texts. Their list also only included women who died whilst serving with, or attached to, a Commonwealth force.

This meant that women who died whilst working in a civilian capacity, such as ambulance drivers, munitions workers, spies, linguists etc, were not included. It was quickly realised the real number of female casualties will never be known.

We resolved to create a fitting memorial to commemorate these overlooked women. The CWGC were able to identify 818 individual women in the UK, and so our members decided to craft a unique poppy for each named individual. An additional poppy was created for Edith Cavell, who made a significant contribution to saving the lives of soldiers from both sides but was not included on the CWGC list as she was in occupied Belgium in WW1. Finally, a special black poppy was made to commemorate all the civilian casualties that were not recorded.

All 820 poppies will be on display at Disley’s Fountain Square on Sunday 11^th November, with Disley’s annual Armistice Day Service taking place at the adjacent War Memorial at 11am.

We hope this will be a fitting commemoration to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the women of WW1.