WI Sisterhood

[littlebillie]

Of all the inspiration women that they could have put on the front cover of their magazine

But it’s then not a ‘sisterhood’... or have I missed something obvious...?

Fair enough.

I don't understand why Petra is hiding behind a tree...

It's useful when organisations make their position on sex and gender clear like this. I find it odd that the WI restrict membership on sex on the one hand, by not allowing men to join, but include people with a male body but a self identified feminine gender identity to join. Interestingly their national policy on equality and diversity talks at length about transwomen and non-binary people but doesn't mention transmen at all.

Perhaps a list of organisations who understand the word woman would be shorter to compile.

Do they think by doing this they are appealing to younger women? As they have totally missed the point!

I think someone needs to found a religion, just for women (because it's legal to segregate for religious purposes)...

I discontinued my membership in April.

It was partly that I felt the WI in general didn't respect women's time. For example, we'd do a tombola at the local fair where each member would donate a mug full of "treats". The whole committee would spend a few days organising and wrapping them, then another day at the fair, sell the mugs off for £1 each, make £60, take£10 of for the cellophane and ribbon and be chuffed to bits to have raised £50. What a waste of time! Not to mention it always cost me a fiver to buy a cheap mug and some little things for inside as I don't have spare bits like that at home. And chances are all these mugs will end up donated to a charity shop. Nobody in the committee saw my point so I left it eventually.

The final straw was a meeting where a drag queen was going to come and give us makeup lessons. What?! No thanks. And he charged a high fee too.

We also had a meeting where a pole dancer led an "exercise" session. Nope, nope.

It was a really long, gushing article , quoting Stonewall ‘research’ . I usually hang onto my copy for a while but there was barely anything else in it and it quickly went into the recycling.

@MrsJamin

Do they think by doing this they are appealing to younger women? As they have totally missed the point!

This feels like it’s going to put off far more current and potential members than it’s going to attract.

Well that nice. It does of course mean that it will make other members feel unwelcome.

The final straw was a meeting where a drag queen was going to come and give us makeup lessons. What?! No thanks. And he charged a high fee too.

Christ. They really must think women are idiots. How incredibly depressing this is.

I always thought of the WI as somewhere where women could share experiences and life stories, support each other. It’s not the brownies for grown ups to play jam making and knitting.

*The final straw was a meeting where a drag queen was going to come and give us makeup lessons. What?! No thanks. And he charged a high fee too.
*
That's just awful.

Honestly someone on FWR posted recently that becoming a feminist ruined her life in a way because of how it opened her eyes to everything and once you start seeing it all you can't stop. I'm feeling like that atm.

I wonder how many of us are members of the WI, I'm not. A lot of organisations were accused of being out of touch and the WI was top of the list at one time. I think when membership falls, they take the opportunity to see how they can draw in new members. I assume the WI brought in a cool media company and I would like to bet they suggested Stonewall Champion. Now, the result is likely to be that the WI will lose some of it's members and not draw in the cool crowd either. The only winners are the media companies who rake in the cash and SW who get their Diversity championship fees. We all now know that SW demands the obliteration of women in order to progress up their lists. How on earth is that going to work in the WI without destroying the organisation

Honestly someone on FWR posted recently that becoming a feminist ruined her life in a way because of how it opened her eyes to everything and once you start seeing it all you can't stop. I'm feeling like that atm.

YES!!

I need a T-shirt saying ‘Feminism Ruined My Life’ - but I don’t think most would get the real meaning!

This seems apt:
www.theonion.com/woman-takes-short-half-hour-break-from-being-feminist-t-1819576049

WI has been well and truly Stonewalled.I and a few others are trying to get them to look again at their ‘inclusivity’ but it is apparently more important to welcome men wearing skirts than to provide an organisation for biological females.They totally ignore that they are probably excluding real women who have good reason to be somewhere away from men, in their twisted policy of inclusivity of self- definers .

Apparently ‘you’re so brave’ and ‘I wouldn’t have guessed you were transgender ‘ are ‘flaming arrows’ to Petra. She also says ‘The best way to compliment a trans woman is to treat her just like any other woman – because she is‘. Sorry love, but no. That is the shit I hate the most. I couldn’t read the whole thing. Plus I’m sure it’s longer than the usual feature article. So tired.

Melissa Green, General Secretary of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI), said:“We were delighted to interview Petra in the latest issue of WI Life. The work she does as a speaker and activist is so inspiring, educating other members and the wider community on the issues that trans people face today.
“At a time when the transgender community are experiencing prejudice and exclusion, it is so important that trans voices are heard and amplified in the WI and society.
“We want to make it clear that not only are trans women welcome to join the WI, but they are celebrated and truly enrich our membership and our values as a bold and inclusive organisation for women.”

Why is it so important that trans voices are amplified in the WI Petra? Why are you more interested in talking to someone who has identified as a woman for six years, rather Lorraine, Petra's 'loving wife' who has been a woman her whole life. Why do you think women should be interested in Petra?

Why is everyone in such a mission to ‘educate’ us. Such people rarely seem to listen, or be open to ‘education’ themselves. Wonder why.

Thought this was the Wi Spa at first! So, a women's institute centres males.

I'll get me recipes of the internet and books. If I want to join a women's org, it will be an actual sorority.