An update to the WI Announcement thread. My DH just got a reply to his application to join them.

[Another2Cats]

This is not a thread about a thread, but recently there was a thread about the Womens Institute announcement that they would not be implementing the SC ruling anytime soon.

I was reading the thread at the time and, entirely jokingly, I suggested to my DH that he should apply to join the WI and see what they say.

So he did just that (he totally gets the GC point of view) and I posted about this at the time:

Another2Cats · 08/05/2025 19:45

I just got my DH to send an email to them:

Hello,

My name is Xxxx (very obviously masculine name). I just read your transgender policy and understand that you accept men.

I am a man and would like to join the local WI group in [xxxx city] (the nearest branch for me is in yyyy [suburb of xxxx city]).

Should I just turn up next Wednesday evening and sign up?

I'm really waiting with bated breath to see what sort of response there is.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5330297-womens-institute-announcement?reply=144143149
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Well, it turns out that they sent a response this lunchtime.

This is their reply (although with contact details redacted):

Good morning,

Thank you for your enquiry. Our policy states that “WI membership is open to all women who live as women, including transgender women.” If you fit within this statement, you will be more than welcome to attend. I am afraid the WI is not open to men.

Kind regards,

[Redacted]

[Name Redacted]
Federation Secretary
[Two cities - well, a city and a town - redacted] Federation of WIs CIO
[Address redacted]
[Telephone number redacted]
Office hours: Tues, Weds, Thurs 9am – 1pm

Please note the new email address – [Redacted]
.

I don't know, is this something that DH should take up with the EHRC now that he has it in writing?

This entire movement has worked on the principle of out of sight, unseen, manipulate leaders with 'cosy cups of tea' and chats in back rooms, and at all costs avoid transparency, democracy or anyone being allowed to consider that perhaps other people have rights or a say too.

The WI should have seen this coming a mile off... or maybe they did and they actively wanted to make the organisation mixed sex?

Of course any males seeking validation that they are 'women', those determined to 'live as a woman' (whatever that could mean) and those who have decided to centre their whole life and identity around wanting to be a woman are obviously going to make a beeline to any group with 'women' in its actual name, and one that was originally established as an exclusively female organisation.

Don’t do this. Continue to interact with them as a man

I’d love to know the ‘living as a woman’ definition.

If they must allow transmen, would they have been "living as a woman"?

Also, how would anyone know short of a genital inspection, that a trans man is not a bio man anyway?

The whole issue is crazy.

I say make it mixed sex, since then the TiM won't have the drama and attention of being "women" and adored for it in female company.

I guess if they change their name to ‘WI’ then they take the ‘woman’ out of their name as well, although the constitution will then have to change from ‘women’ to ‘people’

or change it to ‘PI’ - People’s Institute.

So, a very small update.

A quick recap; a week ago DH sent a letter before action to the WI giving them 28 days to accept him as a member or change their membership rules.

They replied yesterday. Well, it wasn't much of a reply. Essentially they said we're going to ignore your letter before action and we might condescend to consider your complaint eight weeks from now:

Dear [XXX]

Thank you for contacting NFWI.

I am writing to acknowledge the formal complaint you have submitted regarding the NFWI membership criteria. I can confirm your complaint has been opened and will be investigated by NFWI within the 8 week timeframe where possible as outlined within the policy.

I will be in contact in due course, attached is the NFWI Complaints policy for reference.

So, instead of engaging in any meaningful way with the complaint they've just kicked it into the long grass, presumably in the hope that it will all go away.

Well, my DH doesn't work like that.

So he replied to them asking if that is the only reply they have to the letter before action? He went on to say that unless they engaged meaningfully with the substantial complaint in the letter before action within seven days then he would have to assume that they had no intention at all of dealing with the matter. He would then commence a claim.

Which means that I'll have to start getting the Particulars of Claim sorted out over the weekend (with some help from DH).

Perhaps they'll take DH a bit more seriously once they have the claim form?

Team Cats!

Thank you and well done the Cats

If you have the strength to keep pushing, I'll be cheering you on

And I'd be happy to contribute to a crowdfund.

Me too!

Tell your DH I'll make it two beers🍻

I'll raise you a malt.

Maybe he could ask them if they will change their gendered name as well :) “project female”, same town, exactly the same issue…..

Me too.

Thank you Mr and Mrs Cats. Hopefully this will help to make the WI a single sex space. I don’t have a DH but like to think if I did he would be totally up for this too.

Don't get me wrong, I fully support what your DH is doing. But ...

Isn't it usually the case in these things that you have to follow procedure, you have to fully exhaust Step A before you can move on to Step B. If your DH takes this to court, will they throw it out as being premature because the WI procedure hasn't gone through all its stages yet.
Also, the EHRC was going to send something to the Govt quicksmart after the ruling but they have rowed back on that. They are currently consulting. Won't WI use this as a "we are waiting on Govt / EHRC guidance before we can act" get-out clause?

Huge congrats Team Cats - cheering you on every inch of the way... So brilliant you are doing this

I salute your dh. He’s one of the good ones.

I am curious to hear a legal opinion on this. I am sure there is an element of truth in what you say, but on the other hand they can't say "our complaint process takes ten years, get lost". Where is the balance between giving them reasonable time, and them taking the micky?

Also, to what extent does the EHRC guidance come into this? However clear the case was, is there not an argument that an org. that says "we will make a decision shortly, when we have proper guidance, which is coming" will be OK (caveat - were a woman to sue due to, say, an assault by a man in a single sex space that happened today, pre-EHRC guidance, I can't imagine the org would have much of a defence, but that is a little different from am org trying to get it's policies together).

and me :)

"Isn't it usually the case in these things that you have to follow procedure"

Yes, you're quite right, and that's what we're doing.

The correct procedure is laid out in the court Practice Direction that covers Pre-Action Conduct and Protocols.

The first step is generally referred to as a "letter before action". This should give the defendant sufficient information to understand the claimant's position and what their claim is. The Practice Direction says:

"(a) the claimant writing to the defendant with concise details of the claim. The letter should include the basis on which the claim is made, a summary of the facts, what the claimant wants from the defendant, and if money, how the amount is calculated;"

DH did that a week ago giving the WI 28 days to either accept him as a member or to change their rules.
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The Practice Direction then says that the Defendant should reply within a reasonable time:

"(b) the defendant responding within a reasonable time – 14 days in a straight forward case and no more than 3 months in a very complex one. The reply should include confirmation as to whether the claim is accepted and, if it is not accepted, the reasons why, together with an explanation as to which facts and parts of the claim are disputed and whether the defendant is making a counterclaim as well as providing details of any counterclaim;"

The WI's reply provided none of the required detail. So DH wrote back to ask if they were going to engage with the required process.

He also said that if they did not engage within 14 days of his original complaint then he will commence a claim.

This is a straightforward case of sex discrimination and there is no reason why they would need more than 14 days to reply. Please note, this is just to reply, not anything about actually doing anything as a result of the complaint.
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"...they are currently consulting. Won't WI use this as a "we are waiting on Govt / EHRC guidance before we can act" get-out clause?"

Well, they may try, but the EHRC have clearly stated that the law is the law today and the Supreme Court said that it always has been the law since 2010.

Does your DH actually want to join the WI? Could this be a stumbling point?

If so does anyone actually want to join the masons?

www.ugle.org.uk/gender-reassignment-policy

@Another2Cats big thanks to you and your husband

the WI are craven dick panderers

On Trans Woman’s Hour yesterday they had Baroness Faulkner saying organisations should be complying with the law immediately, and to take their own legal advice if they thought they had complexities, the example she gave was care workers and care receivers. I don’t think this is a particularly complex situation for the WI. They must’ve known it was coming, and should’ve been convening the day after the judgement, so relatively far down the line in terms of rewriting their rules and effecting action.
many organisations have opted to ‘wait for this’ ‘wait for that’ dragging their heels like a kid who doesn’t want to go to bed. Sadly, women will need to crowdfund to haul them through court before organisations get on top of it.

I’m going to say that public sector and charity (the most captured) will almost have to be forced to do it, private sector will just get on with it.