Chat from the Chair
Dear fellow members,
On 24th April, members of the Hertfordshire Federation of Women’s Institutes attended an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion policy meeting with the NFWI CEO, Melissa Green.
In Hertfordshire we have 65 Institutes and 2580 members. Only 30 members signed up to join the meeting, 21 attended.
The organisation has 180,000 women who will hold different views. This is always acknowledged and respected.
It was both informative and, at times, deeply moving to hear about the challenges currently being faced in ensuring that trans women can continue to feel welcomed within the organisation following the Scottish Supreme court ruling that single sex organisations can only offer membership to those assigned female gender at birth.
The discussion highlighted the significant time, effort and resources the National Federation of Women’s Institutes has committed to exploring all possible approaches, including how best to offer meaningful support to trans women. It was made clear by the CEO that this is not an easy path, and there are no simple answers, but there remains a strong commitment to working together with care and respect.
The Supreme Court ruling has direct impact on us as an organisation as we benefit from a single-sex exemption under the Equality Act. This allows us to lawfully remain women only, but our definition of women (for the purposes of membership) is therefore taken from the Equality Act itself. Whilst we may all have different feelings about the law, as Trustees (at NFWI, federation and WI) we have no choice but to operate within it and we cannot knowingly expose our charities to risk by working outside of our legal obligations or on standard legal definitions. This does not mean we cannot operate in other ways outside of the confines of our membership, but as a women’s organisation, our membership is defined by the parameters of the definition of sex in the Equality Act.
The National Federation is supporting the formation of Sisterhood groups, to be run like any sub group attached to your Institutes. Sisterhood groups need to be open to everyone, including men. They need to be self funding. It is a way of welcoming our trans sisters back into the organisation since, from 1st April they are unable to be members of the Women’s Institute. If you would like to join the pathfinder group exploring and supporting Sisterhood groups, or would simply like more information or have a point you would like to raise do please email inclusion@nfwi.org.uk
The Board of Trustees of the Hertfordshire Federation recognises that these are complex and challenging times, and we will continue to engage thoughtfully as a supportive Federation.
The National Federation of WIs are attending the Everywoman Festival on June 13th at the London Design Centre. From the enquiries they receive they will be asking all Institutes if they can offer any interested ladies the opportunity to visit their chosen Institute, free of charge for the first meeting. I know many, almost all in fact, charge a visitor, even if it is their first meeting. I thought this might be a very good idea for our Hertfordshire Institutes to adopt.
Kind regards
Mrs Jill Profit, Federation Chair, Hertfordshire Federation of Women's Institutes