The new WI equality, diversity and inclusion policy - it’s worse and includes the thought police

[Marmaladelover]

This is the new EDI policy all WIs have to sign and agree .

The last one was bad enough , the new one discriminates against anyone who doesn’t think Transwomen are women. Please note the sentence
We expect all those who engage in the WI movement to uphold the same values.

I am furious! So what to do about it ?

Main bits I disagree with copied below

Our inclusion of transgender women in activities outside of membership is based on our belief that being a woman is about biology and lived experience

One of the objectives

• Highlight and celebrate the diverse membership of the WI, and ensure that our wider movement offers support and fellowship to all women, including transgender women and others.

Aside from WI membership, we offer other ways to engage with the WI movement, locally, regionally and nationally, including being a WI Supporter and belonging to one
of our Sisterhood groups. We expect all those who engage in the WI movement to uphold the same values.

11. Transgender inclusion
The WI is an inclusive, supportive, and progressive organisation that offers different ways to engage in our movement for members and non-members. The WI provides
educational opportunities and the platform to campaign on important issues, whilst celebrating the WI’s long history of trans inclusion, and embracing the sisterhood and
solidarity of our movement.
Transgender women are welcomed to a range of local and national activities that are open to non-members, as well as our national Supporter scheme. Based on the WI’s
history of trans inclusion, we believe that including transgender women in these activities enriches our organisation to ensure we are a place for both biological women and transgender women to celebrate who they are and influence positive change in their communities.

Sadly I suspect there will be some women in the WI who are handmaidens and will go along to these sisterhood groups.

So long as men are kept out of the main WI groups, these fringe/cringe fan-girl groups for cross dressing men will probably fade away due to lack of engagement.

Was amazed to see an announcement from Manchester WI saying they are folding because they don’t want to be in an organisation which doesn’t allow transwomen in. I’d incorrectly assumed most WI members would welcome the decision.

AI tells me there 6300 WI groups overall, so maybe the smaller ones, which have been infiltrated the most, might well take a stand. I can't imagine many of them doing so, though, not at least because of the numbers involved.

They’re a group formed in 2012 and call themselves “modern”. So no real surprise there. This is the picture from their website.

Other groups have announced they are closing and when I checked a couple of them, they too were recently formed and offered a "modern take" on the traditional WI. They were also all very definitely urban - city-based, not small town or rural.

I wonder if any of those closing have members or local women who'd be happy to take on the organisation now it's actually women only?

That would be the ideal solution. Get rid of the men, get rid of the captured handmaidens and have an organisation operating as intended.

💯 👏

But I understand they are forcing members to sign some sort of declaration. I don't think folk should be made to sign anything. Apparently some branches will be closing over this issue.

I received a reply to my emailed questions about exactly what I am signing up to when rejoining. Amongst other things, it says:

"We are comfortable that this approach does not require members not to hold gender critical beliefs, which are protected, or that holding these beliefs is the same as ‘transphobia’.

WI members with gender critical beliefs are welcome to join our organisation, alongside women with other beliefs. You were concerned that by signing our Membership Form and being a WI member, you were being required to agree to beliefs contrary to yours. We hope our response above explains why this is not the case."

On that basis, I've re-signed. Sharing because I thought it might provide clarity for others.

Thanks @Storyhousenamechange

I bet they had their fingers crossed when they typed that!

This is really helpful, thank you. It isn’t exactly what I had in response to my email to them but the gist is the same. It’s the basis on which I signed too.

So what exactly are people signing up to. And I still don't understand why members are forced into signing anything re their transgender policies.

Lol. Definitely gritted teeth.

You need to sign the membership form to join or renew.

As part of signing, you are confirming that you were born a biological woman, so that the NFWI can ensure members meet the legally‑defined eligibility criteria following a recent Supreme Court ruling, which concluded that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act (2010) refers only to biological sex. The form also asks you to acknowledge your agreement to follow all NFWI policies and the Code of Conduct.

I just wanted to confirm what following their EDI policy actually meant and I have signed, based on their response.

So putting it all in context, it's a massive about turn by the WI to say that transwomen can't be members. Their EDI policy goes further in relation to transwomen than I would've done, but by signing I'm not confirming I agree with everything they say. Which I'll take. Because my WI is lovely and actually HQ's view has very little day to day impact on my local WI which I am keen to support.

Whilst I appreciate that individuals have strong bonds to their local WI and feel somewhat reassured by the national WI 'clarification', I don't think it should be ignored that signing agreement with the EDI statement says that you agree that TWAW. The 'clarification' is not what you are signing acceptance of, it's the forms presented originally.

I don't think it necessarily does say that though.

In the first paragraph of the introduction, the policy states: "our belief that being a woman is about biology and lived experience."

So TWAW is "their belief".

Section 4 states "We expect all those who engage in the WI movement to uphold the same values".

"Values" not "beliefs".

By signing the membership form, members "agree to follow all NFWI policies".

"Following policies" does not necessarily mean sharing all beliefs.

I think there is an argument to be made that they've stuck the TWAW wording in to make themselves feel better/as an act of petulance but signing doesn't mean you are saying you share that "belief".

The inconsistent language is either deliberate to allow this or sloppy and we can't know which.