Following the recent NFWI Board of Trustees meeting, we can announce that the six proposed amendments to the 2016 resolutions were not accepted. Each WI has been contacted to explain the reasons behind these decisions. An amendment is a proposal to alter the wording or details of a resolution without affecting the principle of the resolution. An amendment must be clearly worded to show exactly which part of the resolution it is proposed to alter. In order to meet the criteria, an amendment must not materially change a resolution. It should enhance it, whilst retaining the original objective. WIs only need to consider an amendment if it is accepted by the NFWI Board to go to the AM. This means that this year WIs do not need to discuss any amendments.
Following this, please note that the wording of the resolutions under debate at this year’s Annual Meeting in Brighton on 11 June remain unchanged as follows:
Avoid food waste, address food poverty
The WI calls on all supermarkets to sign up to a voluntary agreement to avoid food waste, thereby passing surplus food on to charities thus helping to address the issue of increasing food poverty in the UK.
Appropriate care in hospitals for people with dementia
We call upon HM Government and the NHS to provide facilities to enable carers to stay with people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia that have been admitted into hospital.
What happens next?
If you haven’t already had your resolutions meeting, please remember that all WIs get one vote for each resolution, and need to vote for or against each resolution. This means that WIs can vote for both resolutions if they support them both, or against both if they support neither. WIs should not vote for one resolution over the other, but need to look at both resolutions independently and vote for or against each of them. If both resolutions achieve a majority of votes for, then the NFWI will pass both resolutions, and the NFWI will campaign on both issues.
About the resolutions process
The WI resolutions process is truly democratic; every single issue that the WI has worked on since 1915 has come from members’ own concerns. Every resolution is written by WI members themselves; the NFWI offers advice and help if needed, but please remember that every resolution is written by WI members who wish to tackle a particular issue or concern that they want to highlight and change.
Every campaign is proposed by WI members, and then the whole membership debates and votes throughout the year-long WI resolutions process. This year long process ensures that each member has the chance to be involved and consider the options; it really is democracy in action. Every planned campaign seeks to enable members to work locally to evoke a national change; working with fellow members, their wider community and MPs, depending on the topic under discussion.
Campaigning locally
Whilst the NFWI resolutions process is the national framework enabling members to engage with campaigning and Public Affairs, every single federation and WI can propose, select, and vote for their own local campaigns – WIs have been working on local issues that are important to their own communities since the very first meetings were held over 100 years ago.
Review of the resolutions process
Over the past few months, the NFWI Public Affairs team and committee have been looking at the process and considering whether it could be altered to allow even more members to get involved and truly engage in WI campaigns, and to enable the organisation to do even more positive work. All WIs will be contacted over the next few months to ask for their views on campaigning and the resolution process through this consultation, and feedback will be shared with be shared after the Autumn National Council meeting later in the year.
Thursday, 12 May 2016
Monday, 9 May 2016
COOL back on the agenda
It may be hard to believe, but it’s more than three years since the horse meat scandal hit the headlines. What started as a slow drip of allegations that our food system was contaminated with horse meat soon became a flood as the scale of the crisis emerged.
A huge loss of public trust followed, and while it was clear that criminal networks had successfully infiltrated our food systems, the public’s disappointment was firmly directed at supermarkets and government institutions.
Two months after news of the scandal broke, a survey conducted by Which? showed that consumer confidence in the food industry had fallen by a quarter, with 68% of the public feeling that the government wasn't giving adequate attention to enforcing labelling laws. Yet three years on, has anything actually changed? Have we become a nation more in tune with our food system; that demands to know what we eat and where it comes from, and that makes sure that what we eat is what it says on the label?
Food transparency is not a new issue for the WI. In 2010, a resolution was passed asking for greater clarity on country of origin labelling (COOL). Too often members were confronted with confusing origin labelling and were unable to make informed choices about the meat they were buying. At that time origin labelling for meat was not a mandatory requirement, and where it was detailed on labels, the origin could be given as the country where it underwent the last “substantial change”.
Since the WI kicked off its campaign there has been significant progress on COOL. In 2015, EU rules came into force which introduced the principle that unprocessed sheep, goat, chicken and pork meat products would be required to specify the country in which the animal was reared and slaughtered (this was already a requirement for beef, which also had to specify place of birth).
However, despite this progress, there is still a long way to go before clear country of origin labelling is the norm in UK supermarkets. The majority of the products contaminated in the horsemeat scandal were processed products, such as ready meals, meatballs and ‘beef’ burgers. But these processed meat products are still not required to display its country of origin. The WI wants to see COOL extended to all meat products. And not only because of traceability and transparency issues.
The WI’s campaign is about clarity and consumer choice. Shoppers need clear and accurate information to make informed choices about the foods they buy.
With British farmers struggling financially, enabling them to champion British meat which meets strict animal welfare and safety standards is vital. While premium products may champion British meat, value cuts and ready meals often contain cheaper imported meat. No one is arguing that these should be restricted, but clear country of origin labelling would encourage shoppers to acknowledge and question price differences, and then make better informed choices.
This week MEPs have an opportunity to vote on a resolution to extend COOL to all processed meat and dairy products. If passed, there will be an opportunity for the European Commission to consider this issue further.
The European Commission’s own research shows that consumers want clarity on the origin of processed meat products, but the Commission has argued that the cost of new labelling requirements is too high.
But the EU Environment Committee believes that extending COOL initially to lightly processed meat and dairy products such as cheese and sausages (which are the products consumers are most concerned about) would not be as costly and could present an important first step in extending COOL to all products.
The first recommendation of the Eliott Review commissioned by the government in the wake of the horse meat scandal was to put consumers first. Three years on, it feels like progress has slowed, and despite public concern about transparency and traceability in our food system, consumers are still in the dark.
While clear country of origin labelling won’t solve all the problems in our food system, it would go a long way in restoring public trust in our food system, allowing consumers to make informed choices about what they eat, and allowing farmers to compete on an even playing field.
The WI believes that next week’s resolution is an important step in ensuring that COOL is extended to include processed meat products and will be urging MEPs to support it.
A huge loss of public trust followed, and while it was clear that criminal networks had successfully infiltrated our food systems, the public’s disappointment was firmly directed at supermarkets and government institutions.
Two months after news of the scandal broke, a survey conducted by Which? showed that consumer confidence in the food industry had fallen by a quarter, with 68% of the public feeling that the government wasn't giving adequate attention to enforcing labelling laws. Yet three years on, has anything actually changed? Have we become a nation more in tune with our food system; that demands to know what we eat and where it comes from, and that makes sure that what we eat is what it says on the label?
Food transparency is not a new issue for the WI. In 2010, a resolution was passed asking for greater clarity on country of origin labelling (COOL). Too often members were confronted with confusing origin labelling and were unable to make informed choices about the meat they were buying. At that time origin labelling for meat was not a mandatory requirement, and where it was detailed on labels, the origin could be given as the country where it underwent the last “substantial change”.
Since the WI kicked off its campaign there has been significant progress on COOL. In 2015, EU rules came into force which introduced the principle that unprocessed sheep, goat, chicken and pork meat products would be required to specify the country in which the animal was reared and slaughtered (this was already a requirement for beef, which also had to specify place of birth).
However, despite this progress, there is still a long way to go before clear country of origin labelling is the norm in UK supermarkets. The majority of the products contaminated in the horsemeat scandal were processed products, such as ready meals, meatballs and ‘beef’ burgers. But these processed meat products are still not required to display its country of origin. The WI wants to see COOL extended to all meat products. And not only because of traceability and transparency issues.
The WI’s campaign is about clarity and consumer choice. Shoppers need clear and accurate information to make informed choices about the foods they buy.
With British farmers struggling financially, enabling them to champion British meat which meets strict animal welfare and safety standards is vital. While premium products may champion British meat, value cuts and ready meals often contain cheaper imported meat. No one is arguing that these should be restricted, but clear country of origin labelling would encourage shoppers to acknowledge and question price differences, and then make better informed choices.
This week MEPs have an opportunity to vote on a resolution to extend COOL to all processed meat and dairy products. If passed, there will be an opportunity for the European Commission to consider this issue further.
The European Commission’s own research shows that consumers want clarity on the origin of processed meat products, but the Commission has argued that the cost of new labelling requirements is too high.
But the EU Environment Committee believes that extending COOL initially to lightly processed meat and dairy products such as cheese and sausages (which are the products consumers are most concerned about) would not be as costly and could present an important first step in extending COOL to all products.
The first recommendation of the Eliott Review commissioned by the government in the wake of the horse meat scandal was to put consumers first. Three years on, it feels like progress has slowed, and despite public concern about transparency and traceability in our food system, consumers are still in the dark.
While clear country of origin labelling won’t solve all the problems in our food system, it would go a long way in restoring public trust in our food system, allowing consumers to make informed choices about what they eat, and allowing farmers to compete on an even playing field.
The WI believes that next week’s resolution is an important step in ensuring that COOL is extended to include processed meat products and will be urging MEPs to support it.
Friday, 22 April 2016
Become a Climate Ambassador
Today is Earth Day 2016 and marks the first step towards putting into practice the Paris climate deal, an historic agreement to tackle climate change agreed by world leaders at the end of 2015.
Over 160 countries are expected to sign the agreement at a ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York, making it the largest UN signing ceremony to date. This pledge from so many countries shows the strong support for tackling climate change around the world.
In practice the commitments will only come into force when 55 countries covering 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions ratify the agreement, meaning that they have approval within their own countries to accept the terms of the deal.
Over 160 countries are expected to sign the agreement at a ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York, making it the largest UN signing ceremony to date. This pledge from so many countries shows the strong support for tackling climate change around the world.
In practice the commitments will only come into force when 55 countries covering 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions ratify the agreement, meaning that they have approval within their own countries to accept the terms of the deal.
The Paris Climate Deal
The UN conference on climate change, held in Paris at the end of last year, resulted in this historic pledge from world leaders. Representatives from almost 200 countries agreed the ground breaking deal to tackle climate change. It included an ambition to keep global warming below 1.5⁰C and a long term goal to bring global emissions down to zero.
The agreement marks the first time that virtually every country on Earth has pledged to constrain its greenhouse gas emissions with a view to keeping global warming since pre-industrial times below the commonly-used ‘danger threshold’ of 2⁰C .
The deal is a vital step in the right direction, it is not perfect but it lays the foundations for a low carbon future. The government now needs to take action to deliver on these ambitious targets.
Climate Ambassadors
The agreement was only possible because so many groups came together to call for action on climate change. From WI members sharing hearts last February, to those who joined more than 9000 people in London in June 2015 to lobby their MP . We will be keeping up the momentum over the next year and need your support to help protect our environment.
Over the coming months we will be recruiting volunteers from the membership to act as Climate Ambassadors. Register your interest by emailing publicaffairs@nfwi.org.uk
The NFWI will provide expert-led training on the causes and impacts of climate change, training on successfully engaging people on this issue and a toolkit of further resources. The ambassadors will work with the NFWI to produce a local case study, looking into the causes and impacts of climate change in their local area, and will work to raise awareness of the issue locally.
WI members have vital stories to tell about the impact of our changing climate. The NFWI would like to harness the experiences of members to raise awareness of the things that could be lost to climate change.
October Week of Action
Join us from 10th-16th October in a Week of Action to celebrate the people, places and things we want to protect from climate change, and make sure MPs feel that love. People all over the UK will be lobbying their MPs in their local area, and we’d love you to be involved.
We’ll be seeing nature walks, tea parties, lobby meetings, community energy visits and all sorts of other events to show MPs why you would like them to take action to protect your community from the impacts of climate change. All this will involve MPs so that politicians see, feel and hear how much their constituents care about what we could lose to climate change.
So it's time to get thinking! What can you do in your area to start that conversation with your local MP?
Sign up by emailing publicaffairs@nfwi.org.uk to let us know if you’re interested in attending or organising an event, and for more information.
Find out more about becoming a Climate Ambassador and joining the October Week of Action at www.thewi.org.uk/climate-change
Tuesday, 19 April 2016
No more Violence against Women
The WI has been campaigning for an end to violence against women for many years. This blogpost gives members an update on some of the recent developments on this issue.
The recent Archers storyline on domestic abuse has had the nation talking, donating and seeking help; fans are both shocked and saddened by the storyline which is a reality for many women and men on a day to day basis. Rob’s long-term emotional abuse of Helen has kept listeners hooked in a two-and-a-half year long story that has gradually revealed Rob’s manipulative abuse and systematic undermining of Helen’s personality.
The Archers has brought to light an under reported type of abuse; psychological abuse, a type of which can also be referred to as ‘gaslighting’, after the 1944 film, Gaslight. In the film, featuring husband and wife Gregory and Paula, Gregory does everything to try to isolate and control Paula. One particular tactic involves secretly dimming the gaslights in their home and telling Paula she is crazy when she questions the flickering lights. As a result, ‘gaslighting’ is used to describe a particular type of mental abuse that makes the victim doubt their own sanity and memory.
Examples of Rob’s ‘gaslighting’ tactics include attacking Helen’s eating disorder by forcing her to eat, buying clothes that are too large or small for her and persuading her to stop driving.
‘Gaslighting’ is particularly dangerous as it skewers the individual’s perception of reality and often goes unnoticed by the victim and victim’s family due to its very calculating nature. The Archers storyline has helped to change perceptions of domestic abuse and has shone a light on this calculating behaviour, which victims perceive as the norm. This is highlighted by new figures which reveal a 17% increase in calls to the national domestic violence helpline run by Women’s Aid and Refuge.
The Government has taken a step forward in recognising this manipulative behaviour by introducing new legislation in March 2015, to hold people accountable for controlling or coercive behaviour in intimate or familial relationships. The offence carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both. Types of behaviour listed include; isolating a person from their friends and family, and enforcing rules that humiliate and degrade the victim.
Although this is a step in the right direction in recognising other types of abuse, in many cases victims are not able to take advantage of specialist services or are unaware of the controlling behaviour as they have been trained to believe that they are the problem. Increasing awareness and improving GPs’ responses to look beyond the surface of the victim’s basic communications is essential to preventing further abuse. One way of improving domestic abuse services is through Domestic Violence Champions Networks, which focuses on improving agencies’ knowledge and understanding of the issues and providing the victim with the help they require immediately. The scheme is made up of a network of practitioners or ‘champions’ from a range of agencies. An example of this scheme in action is Cumbria City Council, which has set up three Domestic Violence Champions Networks.
On International Women’s Day in March, the Government made a further commitment to improving domestic abuse and violence services by committing £80 million to protect women and girls from violence as part of a new violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy. Through the refreshed strategy, the government sets out a vision for the next four years with a focus on prevention and early intervention, and making VAWG a priority across agencies, services and the wider public. Measures laid out in the strategy include support for greater use of body-worn cameras by police, a National Statement of Expectations that provides a blueprint for what good commissioning and service provision looks like, and rehabilitation for perpetrators.
While the strategy has been broadly welcomed, some concerns have been raised that it does not reflect the situation on the ground. Since 2011, Refuge has experienced cuts to 80% of its services, and a on a typical day for Women’s Aid’s refuges, 103 children and 155 women are turned away. Local authorities are coping with shrinking budgets and an increased demand for services, often resulting in charities’ funding being cut, with specialist domestic abuse charities bearing the brunt. Specialist domestic violence charities are integral to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities as they have expert knowledge on how to help with particular patterns of abuse within communities and they understand specific needs.
The NFWI has been campaigning on violence against women since 2008; raising awareness of the nature, extent and impact of all forms of violence against women. The NFWI called for better access to domestic violence services for women and girls in rural areas and commissioned research from Bristol University that highlighted the additional problems faced by rural women such as confidentiality and lack of access to transport. In 2009, WI members made a ‘Map of Gaps’ quilt to help publicise research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission that demonstrated the postcode lottery of violence against women support services; one in four local authorities lack any specialist support services.
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| 'Map of Gaps' quilt |
In addition, the NFWI secured key concessions to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill that affected thousands of women and girls who experienced domestic violence. NFWI-Wales has been working on the Not in My Name campaign since 2012 to engage men in pledging their support to never commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women.
The Archers storyline has been influential in raising awareness of psychological abuse, and the Government’s VAWG strategy and control and coercion legislation are positive steps in the right direction, but the key will be to ensure that changes are made in practice, and that local providers are given the support and resources they so urgently need to ensure that when victims seek help, they are referred to the correct service.
Please share this blog with friends and family to raise awareness of controlling and abusive behaviour and encourage anyone who feels trapped in a relationship of abuse to come forward and seek help.
If you or anyone you know requires any help or support from domestic violence please contact the National Domestic Violence helpline on 0808 2000 247, the Welsh Government’s Life Fear Free helpline on 0808 8010 800 or consult the NHS advice page.
Tuesday, 8 March 2016
International Women's Day
Every year International Women’s Day is observed on the 8 March and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. Although it is a day of celebration, it is also a day of awareness of what is yet to be achieved for women across the world.
This year, International Women’s Day is calling on people to pledge for gender parity and asking people of influence to take action by pledging their support and becoming champions of gender parity. For example, the multinational professional services firm, EY, have pledged for parity, arguing that the UK economy is losing out due to women’s academic achievements and talents not being effectively utilised.
In light of the shocking statistic by the World Economic Forum, which estimated in 2015 that it will take until 2133 to eliminate the gender pay gap, the gender parity theme could not be more relevant today. The NFWI’s report, The WI at 100: A century of Inspiring Women, which draws on 5,450 member’s experiences, highlights similarly worrying statistics in relation to the role of women in the workplace and leadership roles. 83% of surveyed members believe more women are needed in leadership positions and 59% of members disagree that women have the same opportunities as men in the workplace.
To reach gender pay parity many other complex, societal norms must also change and develop, such as changing the way women are viewed in society in comparison to men, developing a more inclusive and flexible work culture and promoting positive role models for today’s girls. The NFWI’s report reflects this need, as 82% of members believe that women are judged by different standards to men. These differing standards are then reflected in the workplace, which often results in conscious/unconscious bias.
70% of members aged 40 and under agree that women are penalised in the workplace for having children. An important step to achieving gender pay parity is a flexible work culture. Through implementing progressive policies that accommodate flexibility and integration for all, flexible working can be seen as the norm which in turn changes the culture of prejudice women face during and after pregnancy.
In addition, 78% of members agree that there are not enough positive role models for today’s girls, and identified Malala Yousafzai as the most popular role model for young women. Without positive and ambitious role models for girls to look up to it can be hard to illuminate a path to leadership and success for girls. By highlighting career options through popular figures girls can be inspired to achieve the same level of success and determination.
A recent step the Government has taken to help eliminate the gender pay gap involves introducing requirements for private and voluntary sector companies, who employ over 250 employees, to publish information about their own gender pay gap. The plans were announced by Women and Equalities Minister Nicky Morgan in February 2016. Firms are required to start calculating their pay gap from April 2017, with the intention of publishing the results on their websites in April 2018.
Although this is a step in the right direction to driving diversity and encouraging women to demand more from their companies, there are concerns that without enforcement, companies may actually publish their own data. Many believe it is essential the Government consults closely with businesses to ensure that the new legislation produces results and helps to close the gender pay gap by prompting concrete actions to tackle the problem, rather than just producing data.
As Regina Moran, chief executive of Fujitsu UK and Ireland highlights, differences in pay are often part of a wider context, as highlighted by the statistics from The WI at 100 report; pledging for gender parity must involve everyone and inspire a multitude of changes to take place, not only in the workplace but also in the wider society.
The NFWI asks that WI members take a moment today to celebrate women’s achievements, past and present, and to speak with friends, family and colleagues about pledging for gender parity. You can find out how to get involved with this year’s pledge for parity theme here.
To read the full report of The WI at 100: A Century of Inspiring Women please download it here.
This year, International Women’s Day is calling on people to pledge for gender parity and asking people of influence to take action by pledging their support and becoming champions of gender parity. For example, the multinational professional services firm, EY, have pledged for parity, arguing that the UK economy is losing out due to women’s academic achievements and talents not being effectively utilised.
In light of the shocking statistic by the World Economic Forum, which estimated in 2015 that it will take until 2133 to eliminate the gender pay gap, the gender parity theme could not be more relevant today. The NFWI’s report, The WI at 100: A century of Inspiring Women, which draws on 5,450 member’s experiences, highlights similarly worrying statistics in relation to the role of women in the workplace and leadership roles. 83% of surveyed members believe more women are needed in leadership positions and 59% of members disagree that women have the same opportunities as men in the workplace.
To reach gender pay parity many other complex, societal norms must also change and develop, such as changing the way women are viewed in society in comparison to men, developing a more inclusive and flexible work culture and promoting positive role models for today’s girls. The NFWI’s report reflects this need, as 82% of members believe that women are judged by different standards to men. These differing standards are then reflected in the workplace, which often results in conscious/unconscious bias.
70% of members aged 40 and under agree that women are penalised in the workplace for having children. An important step to achieving gender pay parity is a flexible work culture. Through implementing progressive policies that accommodate flexibility and integration for all, flexible working can be seen as the norm which in turn changes the culture of prejudice women face during and after pregnancy.
In addition, 78% of members agree that there are not enough positive role models for today’s girls, and identified Malala Yousafzai as the most popular role model for young women. Without positive and ambitious role models for girls to look up to it can be hard to illuminate a path to leadership and success for girls. By highlighting career options through popular figures girls can be inspired to achieve the same level of success and determination.
A recent step the Government has taken to help eliminate the gender pay gap involves introducing requirements for private and voluntary sector companies, who employ over 250 employees, to publish information about their own gender pay gap. The plans were announced by Women and Equalities Minister Nicky Morgan in February 2016. Firms are required to start calculating their pay gap from April 2017, with the intention of publishing the results on their websites in April 2018.
Although this is a step in the right direction to driving diversity and encouraging women to demand more from their companies, there are concerns that without enforcement, companies may actually publish their own data. Many believe it is essential the Government consults closely with businesses to ensure that the new legislation produces results and helps to close the gender pay gap by prompting concrete actions to tackle the problem, rather than just producing data.
As Regina Moran, chief executive of Fujitsu UK and Ireland highlights, differences in pay are often part of a wider context, as highlighted by the statistics from The WI at 100 report; pledging for gender parity must involve everyone and inspire a multitude of changes to take place, not only in the workplace but also in the wider society.
The NFWI asks that WI members take a moment today to celebrate women’s achievements, past and present, and to speak with friends, family and colleagues about pledging for gender parity. You can find out how to get involved with this year’s pledge for parity theme here.
To read the full report of The WI at 100: A Century of Inspiring Women please download it here.
Friday, 29 January 2016
Cervical Cancer Screening
The WI first passed a resolution calling for a national screening programme to detect cervical cancer in 1964. The WI’s campaign successfully made the case for screening facilities, as well as raising awareness about the importance of cervical screening.
What do women need to know today?
This week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (24 – 30th January). Every day in the UK eight women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and three women will lose their lives to the disease [1]. Cervical cancer is largely preventable thanks to cervical screening and the HPV vaccination programme. The WI’s pioneering campaign called for better screening facilities, more public information and an effective recall system, which was first achieved in 1988. But in recent years take-up of cervical screening has declined year on year.
Research by cervical cancer charity Jo’s Trust has revealed that one in three 25 – 29 year old women in the UK do not attend their smear test when invited [2]. In England, cervical screening peaked at around 82% in the late 1990s but rates are now just above 78% [3]. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, screening rates are very similar. Worryingly cervical cancer is on the increase, with the Office for National Statistics data showing a 6% rise in cases between 2013 and 2012. Even more worrying is that the UK has one of the lowest survival rates for the disease out of the OECD countries [4]. This highlights the importance of cervical screening as the NHS cervical screening service saves around 5,000 lives a year in England [5].
In 2014 Jo’s Trust published a report which explored the financial impact of cervical cancer on the woman, the NHS and the state. It revealed that the average cost to the NHS per person diagnosed with stage 2 or later cervical cancer is £19,261, while for those at stage 1a, the cost to the NHS is around £1,379 per person. In addition, the combined financial burden of cancer-related costs, additional living arrangements and loss of income for women diagnosed with more advanced cancer is £1,102 a month. However, early detection reduced the financial impact on individuals and their families to just £360 a month [6].
These figures highlight the importance of early diagnosis, not only to increase the chance of recovering, but also to reduce the cost of cervical cancer to the NHS and some of the impacts on the individual woman and family.
What do women need to know today?
This week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (24 – 30th January). Every day in the UK eight women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and three women will lose their lives to the disease [1]. Cervical cancer is largely preventable thanks to cervical screening and the HPV vaccination programme. The WI’s pioneering campaign called for better screening facilities, more public information and an effective recall system, which was first achieved in 1988. But in recent years take-up of cervical screening has declined year on year.
Research by cervical cancer charity Jo’s Trust has revealed that one in three 25 – 29 year old women in the UK do not attend their smear test when invited [2]. In England, cervical screening peaked at around 82% in the late 1990s but rates are now just above 78% [3]. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, screening rates are very similar. Worryingly cervical cancer is on the increase, with the Office for National Statistics data showing a 6% rise in cases between 2013 and 2012. Even more worrying is that the UK has one of the lowest survival rates for the disease out of the OECD countries [4]. This highlights the importance of cervical screening as the NHS cervical screening service saves around 5,000 lives a year in England [5].
In 2014 Jo’s Trust published a report which explored the financial impact of cervical cancer on the woman, the NHS and the state. It revealed that the average cost to the NHS per person diagnosed with stage 2 or later cervical cancer is £19,261, while for those at stage 1a, the cost to the NHS is around £1,379 per person. In addition, the combined financial burden of cancer-related costs, additional living arrangements and loss of income for women diagnosed with more advanced cancer is £1,102 a month. However, early detection reduced the financial impact on individuals and their families to just £360 a month [6].
These figures highlight the importance of early diagnosis, not only to increase the chance of recovering, but also to reduce the cost of cervical cancer to the NHS and some of the impacts on the individual woman and family.
The WI’s campaign made a huge impact in expanding access to screening and raising awareness of the issue, but it is clear there is still more to be done. The NFWI is calling on members to educate themselves and others about cervical cancer screenings and speak with friends, family and colleagues about the disease and whether they have had a screening recently.
Friday, 15 January 2016
Why Women Will Save the Planet
Could women’s empowerment transform the chances of achieving environmental sustainability?
NFWI Vice Chair Marylyn Haines Evans, has added her voice to the ranks of environmental campaigners in a new book that seeks to show that the answer to this question is, emphatically, yes.
Part of Friends of the Earth’s Big Ideas Change the World project, the book – Why Women Will Save the Planet – is a collection of articles from women across the globe. The book demonstrates that women’s empowerment is essential to securing a healthy and safe environment in which people and nature can thrive.
Marylyn’s article in the book explores ‘One hundred years of collective action for environmental change’ and draws on the WI’s history of collective action, of women coming together in order to exert the power and influence that they did not have as individuals. It highlights our environmental campaigns, from the 1927 resolution on polluted seas, to Keep Britain Tidy, through to SOS for Honeybees.
NFWI Vice Chair Marylyn Haines Evans, has added her voice to the ranks of environmental campaigners in a new book that seeks to show that the answer to this question is, emphatically, yes.
Part of Friends of the Earth’s Big Ideas Change the World project, the book – Why Women Will Save the Planet – is a collection of articles from women across the globe. The book demonstrates that women’s empowerment is essential to securing a healthy and safe environment in which people and nature can thrive.
Marylyn’s article in the book explores ‘One hundred years of collective action for environmental change’ and draws on the WI’s history of collective action, of women coming together in order to exert the power and influence that they did not have as individuals. It highlights our environmental campaigns, from the 1927 resolution on polluted seas, to Keep Britain Tidy, through to SOS for Honeybees.
The vision of the WI has always been a movement that could unlock the potential of all women and so create a strong, informed and active civil society. WI campaigns take a two-fold approach, while pressing for change from decision-makers, they also examine the role of individuals as change agents, leading the way in their own communities.
There is a great quote in a 1921 edition of the WI membership magazine Home and Country: 'if one person alone cannot make her wants heard it becomes much easier when there are numbers wanting the same kind of things. That is why large numbers of women organised in bodies such as the National Federation of Women's Institutes can become a real power’.
At a time when the vote for women had not yet been won, the WI believed that if women learned how to conduct meetings, run committees and speak in public, they would be able to come together with other women and exert influence in public life.
With our roots in rural life, the WI has long been at the forefront of caring for the countryside and wildlife – and talking about land use, conservation and food production. As early as the 1920s and 1930s, our foremothers were working on environmental issues as diverse as marine pollution, crop diversity and food security, the preservation of ‘wide areas of special beauty,’ and the prevention of the rapid widespread destruction of wild flowers.
More recently, a 2005 resolution on protecting natural resources inspired a nationwide action day that saw WIs return excess packaging to supermarkets. The WI Carbon Challenge, launched in 2008, saw 10,000 members signed up, pledging to reduce their carbon footprint by 20 per cent. The C02 savings achieved were equivalent to filling the Royal Albert Hall 108 times.
Marylyn helped launch the book at a special event hosted by Friends of The Earth, where she led a discussion on Grassroots campaigning on gender and the environment.
Why Women Will Save the Planet is available to buy now, get your copy here: http://zedbooks.co.uk/node/21960
To find out about the WI’s latest environmental campaigns, visit the NFWI website:
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