Looking Behind The Labels: Fashion Revolution Day #whomademyclothes

Guest blog from Judith Condor-Vidal, Member of Walton Manor WI and ethical fashion campaigner

On 24th April 2013, 1,133 people were killed and over 2500 were injured when the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Social and environmental catastrophes are sadly all too common in fashion supply chains. Fashion Revolution Day - on 24th April - says enough is enough. 

I’ll be marking the anniversary by taking part in this year’s day of action with members of Walton Manor WI.  Fashion Revolution Day will bring everyone in the fashion value chain together and help to raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, show the world that change is possible, and celebrate all those involved in creating a more sustainable future.

As consumers, every one of us is part of this chain.

On the second anniversary of the disaster we aim to raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, show the world that change is possible, and celebrate all those involved in creating a more sustainable future for fashion. The theme of this year’s Fashion Revolution Day is ‘Who Made My Clothes’ (and no, this doesn’t just mean which brand....it means who? literally!) Let’s imagine the thread from the garment, to the machinist who sewed it, all the way down to the farmer who grew the cotton.

Fashion Revolution has come up with a simple ways in which you can take part:

BE CURIOUS
Wear an item of clothing inside out —choose an item from your wardrobe and wear it inside out all day — Ask yourself where is it from? —Who made it?

FIND OUT
Ask brands who made my clothes? And try and discover who are the real people throughout the supply chain involved in manufacturing our clothes.

DO SOMETHING
We hope hundreds of thousands of people around the world will take part and raise awareness within the fashion industry and beyond of the need to try and make things better.

Two hashtags are being used this year. Use #FashRev for tweets throughout the year, and on and around 24 April, use the campaign hashtag #whomademyclothes.

On 24 April, please tweet: Today I’m wearing my (shirt/dress/t-shirt etc.) inside out because I want to ask @[brand/retailer] #whomademyclothes.

Tell your friends, family and colleagues about Fashion Revolution Day and get them to wear something inside out.

And why not take a picture of yourself wearing an item of clothing inside out? Share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with #whomademyclothes and write to and tag the brand, asking them the question Who Made My Clothes?  Follow the lead of Dee Sinclair, Oxford City Councillor and former Lord Mayor, taking part in the event in 2014.

With these simple actions we can all join Fashion Revolution Day! At Walton Manor WI members will be getting together at 7pm this 24th April at the city of Oxford’s Town Hall and wearing our clothes inside out for a photo shoot with the Lord Mayor of Oxford. Join us or organise your own get together.

For more information
Check out the Fashion Revolution Day website to discover the stories behind the people who made your clothes or find out what’s happening in your area.

Play the Fashion Revolution Day Quiz to test your knowledge! Whether you’re an eco-fashion boffin or not, we know you’ll find some interesting facts and be challenged to think more about Who Made My Clothes!  For Quiz answers, please email  judith@tradingfordevelopment.co.uk

The WI Walks by Louise Checkley

Hello Ladies of the WI,

I have been a member of N1 WI in Islington for 4 years, and I am very excited to be part of our upcoming centenary. To help mark 100 years of inspiring women we are walking the Thames Path, and we want you to join us for fun, new friends and a chance to give those walking boots a work out!

Over 184 miles from the river's source in Kemble, Gloucestershire, the Thames Path takes in the ancient city of Oxford and beautiful Berkshire countryside, before passing historic Windsor, Runnymede and Hampton Court then threading through iconic London; Westminster, Tower Bridge and Greenwich, to the finish at the Thames Barrier.

Alongside my friend and walker Anna from Stoke Newington WI we have timed our walk to be in line with the final Centenary Baton handover between Middlesex & Surrey federations. We already have confirmation that several members who live near route will be joining us and we would love for more members to join us for a day, a morning or an afternoon. The itinerary of the walk in May is at the bottom of the post.

At approximately 23 miles per day, it will be tough at times and there will be blisters, but it will be great fun and we are fundraising for our WI centenary. This includes purchasing a bench for our local community in Islington and making donations to our chosen charities: Shelter From The Storm and Refugee Womens Association, local charities in Islington & Hackney.

As we only have a month left until the main event we are putting in the training hours. You are more than welcome to join us on any of the training walks, listed below.

We have been organising these training walks on most weekends since January. The first walk of the year was with Walk London, who organise walks throughout the capital. We walked the 6 miles from Tower Bridge to Greenwich, covering parts of the Thames Path to help us get into the swing of things.

As I live south of the river I have planned walks close to my front door. The Green Chain Walk finishes at the top of my road and the Capital Ring is also close by. By the 12th May I will have completed the whole of the Capital Ring just from training for our main walk, an achievement in itself!  We have also completed a couple of waterway walks; The River Lee and the Regents Canal.

Anna has been feeding us with her homemade soups and baked goods, including bread from her baking course at Denman. I have been providing a much needed source of energy myself...Jelly Babies!

Last weekend North West London WI's walking group invited us on one of their walks - The River Chess, and while the sun didn't have his hat on, we were smiling all the way. It was great to walk with members from other WI's but it fills me with anticipation for the main walk.

If you are close to the Thames in May, please come and join us - whether it’s just to stop for a cup of tea or for the whole day, we would love to meet you. We'll be decked out in hiking gear and our WI sashes, so we won't be hard to spot!

Thank you and see you on The Thames Path!

Louise x

THE ITINERARY:

Tuesday 12th May-
Start: Kemble Train Station 9am
Lunch: Cricklade- The Red Lion 1pm
Finish: Lechlade Ha'Penny Bridge 6pm

Wednesday 13th May-
Start: Lechlade Ha'Penny Bridge 8am
Lunch: The Trout Inn @ Tadpole Bridge 12:30pm
Finish: The Ferryman Inn Bablock Hythe 6pm

Thursday 14th May-
Start: The Ferryman Inn Bablock Hythe 8am
Lunch: A picnic at Port Meadow Oxford 12:30pm
Finish: Cluham Lock 6pm

Friday 15th May-
Start: Cluham Lock 8am
Lunch: The Boat House or a Picnic on the recreation ground Wallingford 12:30pm
Finish: Mapledurham Lock- Purley on Thames 6pm

Saturday 16th May-
Start: Mapledurham Lock- Purley on Thames 8am
Lunch: A picnic in The Meadows @ Henley on Thames 12:30pm
PM: Walk through Runnymede- 800yrs of The Magna Carter
Finish: All Saints Church in Marlow 6pm

Sunday 17th May-
Start: All Saints Church in Marlow 8am
Lunch: A picnic in Alexandra Park Windsor 12:30pm
Finish: The Urban Hanlon Broughton Memorial Egham 6pm

Monday 18th May aka BATON DAY!
Start: The Urban Hanlon Broughton Memorial Egham 8:30am
Pick up the WI Centenary Baton at Staines Bridge 9am
Lunch: 12pm picnic at Walton Bridge were we will meet with Middlesex Federation and other WI members to cheer the baton on from Middlesex to Surrey Federation
Finish: Kew Bridge train station 6pm

Tuesday 19th May-
Start: Kew Bridge train station 8am
Lunch: The Tate Britain Cafe 1pm
Finish: THE THAMES BARRIER!


TRAINING WALKS:

Saturday 11th April-
The Capital Ring
Start: Richmond Train Station 10am
Lunch: Picnic at Manor Court Green Hanwell 1pm
Finish: South Kenton Train Station 5pm
There is a pub at the end of the walk if you wish to have a well deserved drink
Total miles: 16

Saturday 25th April-
The London Marathon Route
Start: Blackheath Train Station 8am
Lunch: Picnic in The Tower of London Park 12:30pm
Finish: Buckingham Palace 5pm
Total miles: 26

Saturday 2nd May-
The Capital Ring
Start: South Kenton Train Station 10am
Lunch: Picnic on Hampstead Heath 1pm
Finish: Stoke Newington Train Station 5pm
There are numerous pubs in Stoke Newington so feel free to stay on for a few well deserved drinks
Total miles: 17

Million Women Rise - Saturday 7th March 2015

Guest blog by Nicky Amos, Somerset Federation

The Million Women Rise March takes place once a year, in London, and aims to raise awareness of all types of violence against women and children. It starts at Duke Street, near Selfridges in Oxford Street and ends two hours later in Trafalgar Square.

I am Chair of Public Affairs for Somerset Federation and have always been very supportive of the WI’s ‘No more Violence Against Women’ campaign.

As I planned to be in London for that weekend anyway, I gathered together a few friends and family, and with NFWI approval and the WI slogan “The WI, making a difference” in mind, I decided to take part.

I had a few reservations.

One was health and safety. Would it be safe?  I need not have worried. The police had closed Oxford Street and there were lots of MWR stewards ensuring the March went according to plan.

Another worry was, who would turn up? I had contacted the organizers before hand and they were a bit vague about the arrangements and the numbers expected.

I need not have worried. Lots of different organizations had come. There were several thousand of us altogether spread out all along the route. It was a very impressive sight. The sun shone, people chatted and the atmosphere was very convivial.

We were all given chant sheets and the lovely lady in this photo did a very good job of getting us all responding. Lots of people had drums and whistles. We made a great deal of noise.

I’ll be honest; I’m not a very extrovert person. Chanting in Oxford Street in front of many thousands of tourists and a few TV crews is not my normal cup of tea. But buoyed-up by the atmosphere, our group soon joined in enthusiastically.

Did we do any good? Did we raise awareness of the issue?

Frankly, before we set out I was sceptical. But people were standing three deep all along Oxford Street and Greek Street watching us pass. Many were filming us on their cameras. Lots clapped. The organisers passed out postcards telling by-standers about the organizations Million Women Rise supported.

Some tourists looked bemused. One told me marching was illegal in his country. Lots of people stopped to talk.

After stopping traffic in Shaftesbury Avenue, Haymarket and Piccadilly Circus we ended in Trafalgar Square, for a very welcome cup of tea.

Would I recommend your WI took part next year?

A resounding yes. I have never been on a march before. What an experience! My party all loved the entire afternoon. I will remember it for ever and I genuinely think we did make a difference.

Celebrating International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated every year on 8th March, was the brainchild of Clara Zetkin, leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany. In 1910, she suggested an annual Women’s Day for women worldwide to celebrate their achievements and mobilise to make the case for labour rights and better working conditions. 

Over the years the Day has proved hugely successful, growing from its roots in the socialist movement to become a global day of celebration and recognition. IWD was formally recognised by the United Nations in 1975. Today, it’s a national holiday in more than 25 countries, from Afghanistan and Cuba to Zambia. It’s a day when women’s successes are recognised and celebrated, regardless of ethnic, cultural, economic or political differences.

It’s also an occasion for reflecting on past challenges and acknowledging the tremendous progress towards equal rights and women’s participation and, even more importantly, for highlighting the struggles women in different parts of the world still face today. Over a century on from the early 1900’s when a women’s day was first celebrated, the world is a very different place.  In the UK alone, women have gained the right to vote, seen education and age old professions like medicine open up, and benefited from a framework of legislation to protect against sex and pay discrimination. As we approach 8 March, we hope to see ground-breaking legislation, currently under debate in the Welsh Assembly, passed next week that would put Wales at the forefront of global efforts to eradicate domestic abuse, sexual violence and all forms of violence against women.

From the WI’s early days, members have campaigned on a wide range of social, political and economic challenges faced by women. Yet barriers remain that prevent us achieving gender equality. 

In June 1943, WI members passed a resolution calling for men and women to receive equal pay for equal work, yet women continue to be fighting for equal pay with female graduates typically paid less than men, an income gap that continues into retirement. 

Early WI resolutions passed in the 1920s highlighted the importance of women playing a prominent role in public life. West Suffolk federation’s 1921 resolution urged WIs to ‘educate members in the powers of the Parish Councils, Rural District Councils and County Councils with a view to getting local women on all these bodies.’  Despite their efforts, women remain chronically under-represented in political and public life at all levels. While there are now more female MPs than ever before, women still make up under a quarter of the House of Commons. With only one female judge on the Supreme Court and few female High Court judges, it’s clear that women have even less say in implementing the laws than in making them. 

In 1975 WI members began campaigning to tackle violence against women.  Today the scale of abuse remains staggering; official data suggests around 1.2 million women suffered domestic abuse last year. One in four women will experience domestic violence at the hands of a partner during their lives. 

So while tremendous advances have been made, gender equality remains far from a reality for women in the UK and our sisters around the world. Let’s take the time to take stock this weekend and continue working together to improve all women’s rights. How are you celebrating international women’s day and the women in your life this weekend?  

Wear red and join Somerset Federation WI for the Million Women Rise March this Saturday, the 7th of March

The WI has long campaigned to stop violence against women and this Saturday, March 7th 2015, WI members are taking to the streets of London once more to protest endemic violence against women and girls as part of a march organised by the Million Women Rise Foundation.

The Somerset Federation will meet outside Waterstone’s in Oxford Street (W1C 2PQ) at 12.15. The march starts from nearby Duke Street at 1.15pm. Here is a link to the Somerset Federation facebook page where interested members can contact them directly if they are interested in joining up with them: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-WI-Somerset-Public-AffairsInternational/1399028270349736

For more information on the March see: http://www.millionwomenrise.com/7-march-2015.html#.VPWB394TWFI

The organisers say: “A woman’s right to live free from violence and / or the fear of violence has not been achieved. Women continue to be attacked and violated in many different ways, in our homes, on our streets, on our public transport, at our places of work. The government, the TV and newspapers do very little to address this issue; instead they often blame women for wearing the wrong clothes or being in the wrong place.

If you think this needs to change, then join us on this women only critical mass. We need to be strong together and in large numbers. Unity is strength; the voices of many are louder together than a single voice. Together and united we are ending male violence against women and children. If you want to see change for yourself, your children, your families, your communities then come out and say no to violence against women! Every sister...bring a sister.”

It’s a woman only event so no husbands, partners, sons allowed but otherwise the more the merrier! The organisers would like everyone to try to wear red, but it’s not essential. Come as you are! 

New Eco-Friendly Ovens Set to Slash Energy Waste and Save Consumers £1.1 Billion

WIs and environmental groups across the country will be pleased to learn that thanks to new ‘Eco-design’ regulations aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of common household appliances, ovens and hobs just got a whole lot greener.

The new rules, which come into force today, mandate that manufacturers improve the energy efficiency of their products by, for instance, improving insulation or redesigning oven doors to mitigate heat loss. This directive will be phased in over a number of years, with no new appliances that score less than an “A” efficiency rating being allowed on the market after 2019. Eco-designed appliances will also have the added benefit of cutting an estimated £1.1 billion from Britons’ energy bills by 2030. This means that in the near future, consumers in the market for new kitchen appliances will be spoilt for choice when it comes to functionality, affordability, and sustainability.

This is very welcome news. Since the 1920s the WI has called for responsible and practical environmental stewardship. Whether it’s campaigning to clean up oil from our seas, urging the government to invest in alternative energy sources, or protecting the countryside from pollution, ‘green’ concerns have helped shape the WI’s identity over the past one hundred years.  Therefore, it will come as no surprise to WI members that new ComRes polling  on these “eco-design” regulations has revealed that ninety percent of respondents support energy efficiency regulations, and, furthermore, that the majority (59%) of those polled say they would even pay a little bit more for an energy efficient appliance.

Commenting on these new regulations and the polling data, our Public Affairs Chair Marylyn Haines Evan had this to say:
   
“Whether you’re turning your hand to a Victoria sponge or a Sunday roast, it’s reassuring to know that ovens and hobs are becoming more energy efficient, insulating you better from volatile energy prices while also cutting carbon emissions. No-body likes to waste energy, and in fact the survey shows that people want regulations that cut down on waste. Knowing what we do about the risks that climate change presents to the UK, it’s clear that better designed appliances are a boon both for householders now and for the world that our children will inhabit.”

The WI will continue to monitor any new developments, but until then Bon Appetit!

Read more
Energy and Climate Information Unit 

WI Cookery School class

#WITimeToTalk

Guest blog by Janis Tunaley, Wellingore WI

Both my parents were organ donors - and one of them an organ recipient - and I wanted to share their stories in the hope that it would both reassure and encourage people to become donors.

My father, an engineer by profession, suffered sight problems in his early 30s.  Just one year after getting married, he was told he had corneal dystrophy, that the condition was genetic and that, not only would he go blind, but he should seriously consider not having children.  You can imagine the shattering impact this had on both him and my mother both in terms of his professional career and their hopes for family life.  Nevertheless, by dint of a great deal of research and much visiting of consultants, he was eventually seen by Benjamin Rycroft (later knighted for his expertise in eye surgery), who pioneered corneal graft operations.  This obviously depended on healthy corneas being donated when people passed away.  My father was given back his sight - in both eyes over some years - as a result.  Consequently, and unsurprisingly, both he and my mother were great advocates of organ donation.

When my mother passed away, she stipulated that she wanted her eyes donated - her contribution in gratitude for my father's sight.  This was done as she wished.  On the morning of her funeral we received a letter telling us that two people had benefited from her gift.  This was a wonderful thing to hear as we bid her farewell - and we know that her eyes are still looking out somewhere in this world!

My father had by this time been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.  As progress was made in treating this wicked disease, a "brain bank" was initiated in London.  Its purpose was to provide brains for research purposes to try and find both the cause and, consequently, a way of treating or even curing Parkinson's.  Both healthy and diseased brains were sought.  My father immediately signed up, stating that even though he could not be helped himself, he wanted, in some way, to help others - as he himself had been helped all those years ago.  When he passed away, his brain was harvested and it is of great comfort to both my sister and me that his wish was granted.  Both she and I are registered as brain donors.

For me, this was something I had been brought up with, but it's not always easy to tackle the subject with loved ones who are less familiar - and perhaps more than a little anxious - with the subject.  It took several conversations with my husband to achieve an understanding and real acceptance of why I wanted this to happen.  There is worry that donation will in some way diminish or damage the person who has passed away.  I can categorically state that this is in no way true.  I saw my mother before her funeral and she had been beautifully looked after - there was no way of knowing she had given her precious eyes.

Equally, I cannot describe in words the tremendous respect and gratitude that is given for the gift of vital organs.  The ability to give those gifts is a truly precious thing and something that everyone should consider.  I am so proud of both my parents for making the commitment to donate for the good of others and hope that when my time comes anything that is of any good at all will be equally well used.

For more information about the WI Time to Talk campaign, please see the WI website:
http://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/current-campaigns-and-initiatives/time-to-talk