The Women’s Institute has been a constant presence in several campaigns for more than a century. Click on this link to read more about this history. The DBWI has a campaigns coordinator and Climate Ambassador keen to get more active with campaigning on the important issues for our membership. Please consider becoming a member to get more involved in the DBWI campaigners group – email debeauvoirwi@gmail.com.

RESOLUTIONS
Every year WI’s and Federations can submit resolutions about issues of concern to the National Federation. A shortlist is decided and voted on by members. At the Annual Meeting on the 25th May one or more of these resolutions is further discussed by delegates and one may be adopted to become a new campaign. The shortlist for 2023/24 are as follows (selected info copied and pasted from briefing documents. These are available to download in full from My WI, acessible from the National Federation website here):

1 – Dental Health Matters
There is a chronic shortage of NHS Dentists and people are suffering health issues as a result. The NFWI calls on the Government to increase investment in the training and retention of dentists and to review the current inadequate NHS contracts in order to ensure everyone can access an NHS dentist wherever they live.
Proposer’s position
The proposer is concerned about the shortage of NHS dentists. The proposer wants the Government to take action by reviewing the NHS contracts and to provide more places for people to train as dentists.
Points to consider
•The WI could add value to this issue by calling for a review into NHS contracts and an increase in the provision of places for people to train as dentists as well as highlighting a growing issue with regard to access to affordable dental care.
•Whilst the government has made some progress on this issue, the Health and Social Care Committee have described the plans as ‘not fit for purpose’, so there could be some potential areas that the WI could add value based on current activity.
•The WI has three past mandates related to dental health (1926, 1930 and 1960). However, the issues outlined in this resolution are not covered by those mandates.
•The government has previously announced it would address the difficulties faced by NHS dental services.
How could the WI work on this issue if it was passed?
A full campaign would be developed by the NFWI if the resolution is passed, taking into account developments since then. To help inform your discussions, here are some ways the WI could consider working on this issue.
At local and regional levels, WIs and federations can work with local dental practices to call on the government to honour pledges in the NHS Long-term Workforce plan. WIs and federations could also engage with their local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to find out what steps are being taken to improve access to dentistry in their area.
WIs could learn more about the issue and hold educational events to highlight the growing issue with regard to access to affordable dental care. Nationally, the NFWI could form partnerships with expert organisations to call for a review into NHS contracts and an increase in the provision of places for people to train as dentists.

2 – Impacts of poor housing conditions
Poor housing can have a deleterious effect on human health and wellbeing, safety and quality of life and can disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups in society.
The NFWI calls on the UK Government to boost housing standards and regulations, increase funding for housing renovations, increase the supply of affordable and secure housing and strengthen collaboration with local authorities, housing associations and other relevant stakeholders to develop strategies that address local housing challenges.
Proposer’s position
The proposer wants to see the WI call on the government to improve housing standards, fund housing renovations and increase supply of affordable housing, as well as work with stakeholders to tackle housing challenges locally.
Points to consider
•This is a strong resolution which addresses a current issue. A resolution on this would allow WIs to work with their local authorities advocating for better housing standards and affordability.
A campaign on this topic could focus on how the issue particularly impacts women, such as gender-based discrimination, including higher rental costs and therefore limited housing options.
•This resolution could tie in well with existing campaigns, such as the work the WI has done with the Warm this Winter coalition. For example, delivering improvements in home insulation would improve home heat retention, reducing damp and making the residence a warmer and cheaper place to live.
•This is a complex issue which requires a range of different actions at local and national level and in a number of different fields.
How could the WI work on this issue if it was passed?
A full campaign would be developed by the NFWI if the resolution is passed, taking into account developments since then. To help inform your discussions, here are some ways the WI could consider working on this issue.
At local and regional levels, WIs and federations could work with local authorities to explore the state of housing in their area, and what needs to be done. They could educate their community about the rights of social housing tenants, and call work for more affordable housing to be built locally.
Nationally, the NFWI could support existing campaigns to push for more affordable housing to be built, and to implement a Decent Homes Standards in the private rented sector. The NFWI could raise awareness on the issue and work with government and experts to explore any roadblocks to tackling the issue, and accelerating the solutions.

3 – Say ‘no’ to gambling advertising
Harm caused by excessive gambling is a global problem. Some countries are already addressing this by banning advertising. The NFWI calls on members, the government, regulators, the NHS, educationalists and gambling charities to work together towards achieving a complete ban on gambling advertising. This will reduce gambling harm, save the NHS money, protect family relationships and decrease the number of suicides, around 400 per annum at present.
Proposer’s position
The proposer is concerned with the harm caused by gambling. She would like to see a complete ban on gambling advertising.
Points to consider
•Given that the government published a White Paper only this year, it may be difficult for the WI to add value. However, the White Paper does not adequately address the gambling harms specifically caused by advertising. The WI could work with existing campaign organisations to raise the profile of this issue.
•Evidence from other countries suggests it is possible to ban gambling advertising outright. However, given the government has recently published proposals that do not include a ban on advertising achieving such a ban is likely to be difficult in the near future.
•This resolution offers a clear objective, namely to ban gambling adverts outright.
•There is some disagreement surrounding the evidence of benefits of a ban. More research could be necessary to establish whether a ban would be a proportionate measure given only a small proportion of gamblers experience harm from gambling.
How could the WI work on this issue if it was passed?
A full campaign would be developed by the NFWI if the resolution is passed, taking into account developments since then. To help inform your discussions, here are some ways the WI could consider working on this issue.
At local and regional levels, WIs and federations could learn more about the issue and hold events to educate their communities about gambling and its impacts. They could work with local businesses and spaces where advertising is displayed to explore how gambling advertising could be limited locally.
Nationally, the NFWI could work with the sector to explore how existing evidence gaps on the harm of gambling advertising could be covered. It could work with the government to understand why an advertising ban is no longer being considered. It could also support existing charities and experts to raise awareness and promote education on a national scale.

4 – Improving Outcomes for Women in the Criminal Justice System
There is an urgent need to radically reform decision making in respect of women in the criminal justice system and in particular, pregnant women and women with children. We urge cross government collaboration to deliver on the 2018 female offender strategy by setting goals, robust governance and performance measures to reduce the number of women who have committed non-violent offences from being imprisoned.
Proposer’s position
The proposer is concerned with decision making with regards to pregnant women and women with children who enter the criminal justice system who have committed non violence offences. She would like to see the government deliver on the 2018 female offender strategy by setting goals, robust governance and performance measures.
Points to consider
•The resolution would be a positive next step from the WI’s successful Care not Custody campaign, which was about ensuring people experiencing mental health problems, autism or learning disabilities get the right care for their condition through safer alternatives to prison. This campaign would work well alongside our current campaign priorities, namely the WI’s ongoing work to end domestic abuse.
•As part of the Care not Custody campaign the NFWI in the past supported measures recommended in the Corston Report (2006) which looked at the changes needed to better support vulnerable women in the criminal justice system. This resolution would allow the NFWI to launch a national campaign targeted at non-custodial sentences for women found guilty of non-violent offences.
•The proposed resolution also offers an opportunity to build on the work the WI is doing supporting women offenders through our network of prison WIs. The WI could work with organisations such as Women in Prison, the Prison Reform Trust and the Howard League for Penal Reform, who all advocate for fewer women in prison.
•The Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan already includes objectives designed to make sure the aspiration to reduce the number of women imprisoned is delivered.
How could the WI work on this issue if it was passed?
A full campaign would be developed by the NFWI if the resolution is passed, taking into account developments since then. To help inform your discussions, here are some ways the WI could consider working on this issue.
At local and regional levels, WIs and federations can work with local authorities and communities to advocate for an increase in Women’s Centres and better funding for existing ones.
WIs could learn more about the issue and hold educational events to raise awareness in their local areas.
Nationally, the NFWI could form partnerships with expert organisations to launch a national campaign targeted at non-custodial sentences for women found guilty of non-violent offences.

How a Resolution becomes a Campaign

Stage I

Between July and September, WIs and federations submit resolutions about current issues they are concerned about to the NFWI.

Stage II

In early autumn, the submitted resolutions are discussed and debated by federation and member delegates and reduced to a shortlist.

Stage III

Between November and February, federations and WIs hold meetings to discuss the shortlisted resolutions, giving every member the chance to have their say on the shortlist. Each member casts their selection for the resolution they support the most.

Stage IV

The NFWI Board of Trustees reviews the results of the member selections and agrees on the resolutions to go forward to the Annual Meeting. This is usually one resolution, but sometimes more than one is taken forward. These resolutions are then again discussed by each WI to determine how they wish their delegate to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Stage V

At the Annual Meeting, delegates hear from the resolution proposer, seconder, and experts on the topic before they cast their votes on behalf of WIs. If a resolution is adopted, it will go on to form the basis of a WI campaign.

National campaigns list:
Current campaigns – the main issues we are working on.
Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife: working on bringing awareness to the levels of pollution in our rivers that affect wildlife and how we can use them.
Thinking Differently: Autistic and ADHD Women and Girls – raising awareness of Autism and ADHD in women and girls and to take action to improve the diagnosis process.
See the Signs – raising awareness of the subtle signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer to help ensure that more women are diagnosed earlier.
Stop Modern Slavery – raising awareness of modern slavery in the UK. It also calls for better support for survivors, as well as more effective action to eradicate the problem.
Make a Match – to promote registration to the aligned UK stem cell registry to enable more people to receive potentially life-saving stem cell transplants.
Climate Change – As a founding member of The Climate Coalition, the WI movement works to urge policymakers to take decisive action to tackle climate change, and to encourage community networks to come together on climate action projects in their local area.
End Plastic Soup – explores the scale of the microplastic fibre pollution and calls on the government and industry to develop solutions to the problem.
No More Violence against Women – raising awareness and taking action to end the scourge of violence against women.

Past campaigns –
Food Matters
SOS for Honey Bees
Get on Board for a better Bus Service
Link Together to Alleviate Loneliness
5 Minutes that Matter
Make Time for Mental Health
Care not Custody
Carers Welcome
Time to talk about Organ Donation
More Midwives