Potential WI Schism

[Igneococcus]

I know there is WI thread but a cannae find it right now:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/c73091fd-d02e-4951-8866-3add883013cf?shareToken=8cfa38d472492bacc9f602cc068c4536

Most federated organisations provide insurance to the branches and, in providing an umbrella organisation, deal with all the trusteeship, charitable registration, constitution, etc legal bollocks so the branches don't have to.

I was replying to a post about blokes being excited about talking about women's genitals not about women's health which is obviously a much wider topic.

I'm British so don't generally use American definitions even if they are more convenient.

Well you've got the answers now.
You were sneery about members being "bored to death".
Women's health talks save lives.

Yup, all the stuff to make sure we’re operating legally……….

I'm British too. I picked up the top two definitions in my search result, one of which considered all the reproductive organs to be genitals, and the other didn't.

Men do get excited talking about women's genitals and some of them get excited about wearing tampons (you can guess where). I've seen men trading recipes for dark red ice cubes to insert so that the dark red meltwater stains a sanitary pad and the cold feels a bit like cramping. Perhaps consider whether that kind of man would be interested in attending a WI women's health talk, and consider why the women wouldn't want him there?

I can see the value of women's health topics but am glad craft club feels no need to discuss anything between the navel and the knee.

afaik the hall craft club meets in gets a reasonable subsidy from the council for supporting community activities - that's us and the drama group and the card players and the chair yoga mob and zumba-ers and some kind of dance thing and no doubt other stuff. So we pay €10 per month for two hours a week in a warm, clean, well-lit space where we can make hot drinks, which seems very good value for money.

Sorry, for clarity, this is in Ireland, where there is some support from community activities. I think it's the government's way of getting us to do the work on the ground.

That’s a fantastic rate. We pay £60 for 2 hours, and it’s the cheapest locally (we had to move halls a couple of years ago, and I canvassed everywhere with rooms to hire available locally).

It's €10 per person per month - but tea and a scone at the pub across the road, possibly the cheapest in Ireland, is €5, (some of us meet up on another day) so we think we do very well. The chairs and tables are set out for us and they clear away.

Attendance irregular but probably averages 25, maybe a bit more.

We had a surplus at the end of the last financial year and all went out to dinner.

Maybe i am a bit old fashioned (63) but i would feel totally uncomfortable at a meeting about women’s health with a bunch of people i do not know well, especially with older sisters.i can look on tinternet or NHS to find stuff like that out,

i would rather learn about gardening hacks, or how to cook a tunnocks cheese cake.

or maybe a class on art/ pottery or other such stuff.

Of to look for a WI near me to see what goes on there.

Indeed. It's right up there with the sisterly threats to rape women who disagree with TRAs.

Do you mean some men, I can't believe all men do.

Again sitting round talking about your genitals is not the same as women's health talks. We are more than the sum of our genitals.

Don't patronise me thank you @TheignT

Obviously NAMALT.
Does that really need saying?

Then it won't be able to be called the WI if men are allowed to join, no matter what they call themselves or how they dress.

See Rules Ten and Twelve.

Rule Ten: "Not all men are like that" is damage limitation PR. Men need to tell each other not to be disgusting pervs, not try to do PR to make themselves look better. Women shouldn't do PR for them.

Rule Twelve: It's always a man, not a woman, and we aren't bad for noting this.

The Heid Hiyins at NFWI really do not want to accept that there is no way to enable any form of TiM attendance without allowing any man the same level of attendance. They also know that any use of WI funds to allow this would be unlawful. This really grips their shit and they are failing desperately to find the magic solution. There isn't a magic solution and within the next few months they will accept it. Petra and his brethren will be ex-members, some people will be very sad and some will flounce. Then the WI will simply continue as a single sex association and charity.

Strange, the only people who ever suggest strip searching to determine sex are TRAs. Either they themselves can't actually tell the difference between men and women without one, or it's some kind of fetish.

Well i checked my local WI quite a big group and women of many ages, no sign of any men in all the photos, and no talks about body parts so am off to join, and maybe, climb up the ladder.

I hope so , but I fear the damage will be done. Members will have left, and others will have been put off joining. As I’ve said I’m not sure how I can renew my membership in April with the current leadership.

I also worry about any discussions held at meetings - I fear it would be v divisive and/or that many will keep their heads down and not be prepared to speak up, given the messaging from national, and wanting to appear kind etc. Again leading to a loss of members.

If it comes up within my group I feel I will have to say something, but dread it, having had a very difficult time both with a family member and a group of friends over the issues. The line national have taken means that we’re labelled as unkind, nasty bigots by those in control, and speaking up publicly in opposition is hard, but I think this is finally my line in the sand and my head will have to go above the parapet.

I'm not saying that women's health is the only thing the WI talk about. I'm saying that some branches will allocate all or part of a meeting to it. As a PP said, it can often be after a branch member has died of a female-specific illness.

I could see there may be one or two branches who have trans women who they would not wish to exclude, and so could leave the national organisation. Not a widespread schism.

That makes sense. Thanks.

To give an idea of what a comparable organisation will soon stop providing for its branches, see the members information pack at https://www.the-tg.com/closure.aspx

• Insurance.
• Model constitution, data protection policy, and other governance documentation.
• A registered charity number to use when setting up bank accounts.
• How-tos related to the objectives of the organisation.

If anyone on this thread is a Townswoman, I'm curious as to why TGHQ are closing down. It seems a shame because I'm not really a good fit for WI (too urban, not very domesticated) and I was waiting for the whole TWAW thing to blow over prior to looking for a women-only organisation to join. Townswomen's Guild looked like a better fit.