+ Why was WI started?

The first Women’s Institute was started in 1897 in Stoney Creek, Ontario by Adelaide Hoodless who advocated for the education and promotion of women in food safety, family health and community service. Today that is what WI continues to do, serving our communities, making our homes better, but also committing to the issues of our times.

+ What can WI offer?

WI offers friendship, opportunities to learn new skills or to teach, a way to give back to your community, and a chance to change our society for the better, through projects, resolutions and campaigns.

+ Are we just a bunch of old ladies that quilt?

Yes we quilt (and some of us do it really well!), but we also offer friendship, a chance to learn new skills, we are involved, vital and willing to forge ahead on new issues and concerns. There are older members many who have been involved in WI for years and can offer much to all members. Doesn’t that say a lot about an organization when members who have been involved for many years are still going strong and love the WI? We are for ALL women, of all ages, and nationalities, you are all welcome.

+ Is there a lot of fundraising?

Each branch has different mandates and local or provincial charities they support. Fundraising can be fun projects, doing bake sales, dinners, auctions, making items for raffles. It is a way for the branch to not only work together but interact within their communities.

+ Is WI just for rural women?

No WI is for all women either living in the country, towns or cities. The Wi organization began as a rural group in Canada and grew to be one of the most influential movements in the world.

+ What types of membership are available?

Most members belong to a Branch and pay yearly dues to the Branch, which in turn sends those dues to the BCWI office to be processed. There are also members that join without belonging to a Branch, they are called Members At Large. There are times when because of time constraints, logistics or other commitments this is the best way for some to join. Members at Large can pay their yearly fee through the website or contact the office to send a cheque.

+ Is there space for me as a younger woman?

Yes, younger women are most welcome as they may have concerns that we older members have dealt with in the past but need our support today. WI accepts all age groups and address their concerns through resolutions and campaigns if needed.

+ I don’t do crafts. What other activities do you have?

There is a place for you, crafts are not for everyone and WI does many other things. We offer friendship, a place to meet new people and get involved in your community, we cook, we garden, we preserve food, we donate time and funds to local charities. We have speakers at our Branch meetings to add interest to the meetings, we campaign either on local or provincial issues, we form resolutions. WI can be whatever you need it to be. Many of our competitions at our Triennial Convention include essay writing, photography, cooking, canning. WI also can have speakers at our AGM ’s addressing concerns that have been brought forward.

+ What does a Resolution mean and how do they move forward?

Resolutions are items of concern that come from the Branches, the grass roots of BCWI. They can be of a local, district, provincial or national, or international concern. When approved by BCWI letters are directed to the appropriate government. We have a stronger voice when it comes from women all over the province. Resolutions of a national concern are forwarded to our national organization Federated Women’s Institutes Of Canada / WI Canada and if approved then letters are sent to the appropriate federal minister. A stronger voice represented by all the provinces.

+ What is a Campaign?

Campaigns are concerns whereby members throughout the province can make a difference, for example getting rid of one time plastics. Campaigns can also rise from resolutions that have been passed at the BCWI level.

+ What is the object British Columbia Women’s Institute (BCWI)?

The objects of BCWI, is to help coordinate not only the WI Institutes in BC but to cooperate with other provincial bodies, the FWIC and ACWW. BCWI acts to aids in cooperation with women by working together in our homes, communities, and country.

+ What is WI Canada/ Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada?

“The Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada / WI Canada is the national organization that provides a united voice for all Women’s Institutes across Canada while advocating for national directives in health, poverty, food safety, environmental preservation and community support.” Learn more here.

+ What is the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW)?

The BCWI is a Constituent Category 1 Society of the ACWW which means our membership allows us to be represented at the ACWW Triennial Conference, which happens every 3 years and we are allowed 5 votes. “The Associated Country Women of the World exists to amplify the voices of rural women, so that the problems they face and the solutions they raise are heard and acknowledged by international policy-makers and legislators. Rural women are the backbone of families, of communities, of nations, but they are often a silent support, adapting to change and tragedy with comparative ease. They bear the burden of conflict, they go unheard in legislation, and they remain unprotected and unsupported. ACWW exists to change that.” Learn more here.