WI campaigns are about changing things for the better and tackling the issues that matter to members. Members are at the heart of the WI and they play a central role in bringing issues onto the WI’s national agenda through our public affairs and campaigning.

Suggestions for initiatives are submitted each year by local branches via regional federations. These are then narrowed down to a short list by representatives from the federations. Local branches then consider and discuss the short-listed resolutions and select the one they would like to go forward for further discussion and final voting at the Annual Meeting.

For more information about the WI Resolutions and  Campaigns and the procedures involved click here. 

You can also find more Information on your My WI page then under Public Affairs & Campaigns, then Resolutions.

Current Campaign

At the 2025 NFWI Annual Meeting, members voted for the Bystanders Can Be Lifesavers resolution. The resolution is as follows:

Bystanders can be lifesavers 

There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests a year in the UK, and less than one in ten people survive. Women have a lower chance of surviving than men. Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillating can more than double the chances of survival. We call on WI members to work together to increase public confidence and training in the delivery of CPR and to work with local organisations to help improve access to defibrillators in their communities to give every person the best chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.

Background

A cardiac arrest is caused by an electrical problem in the heart. A person undergoing a cardiac arrest will be unconscious and not breathing. Cardiac arrest can be caused by defects to the heart, such as coronary heart disease or a heart attack, or external factors such as drug overdose, drowning, or choking.

According to the British Heart Foundation, more than 30,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK each year, and the overall survival rate of people suffering from cardiac arrest out of hospital is less than 1 in 10, lower than in comparable countries across the world. Every minute without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to 10%. People who are trained in CPR will buy time for the casualty until professional help arrives.

There is evidence to show that the bystander response can have a huge impact. The Resuscitation Council states that the chance of survival can increase two or threefold when bystander CPR is used. A defibrillator can also make a critical difference, as when used within the first three minutes, it can increase the chances of someone surviving a cardiac arrest by up to 70%.

St John Ambulance’s research suggests appropriate training could address the problem, with 64% of all respondents indicating that they would feel more comfortable performing CPR if they received the right education and support.

In February 2024, new figures published by BHF found that nearly half of UK adults (43%) have never learned CPR. Cardiac arrest recognition remains a key priority as it is the first step in triggering the emergency response to cardiac arrest. Creating a CPR-trained society will save more lives, improve public health, and enhance community resilience during emergencies.

As well as delivering CPR, a defibrillator device can be used on someone experiencing cardiac arrest, which issues a high-energy shock to the heart and helps to restore a regular heart rhythm. Defibrillators are unevenly distributed across the UK; many are kept behind locked doors in private facilities. It is critical to know where your nearest and accessible defibrillator is to ensure someone experiencing a cardiac arrest can be supported as quickly as possible.

The Circuit is the national defibrillator network which provides the NHS ambulance services with vital information about defibrillators across the UK so that they can be accessed quickly to help save lives. Members can check whether their local defibrillators are registered with the circuit, and register defibrillators themselves, in a few easy steps on The Circuit website.

 

Why is Cardiac Arrest a Feminist Issue?

Fear: Research has found that 1/3 of the British public are scared to give CPR to a woman. Research by St John Ambulance has estimated that more than 8,200 women in England and Wales could have survived a heart attack if they had been given the same treatment as men, according to an analysis of data from between 2003 and 2013. The survey also found that 38% of Britons say they would feel uncomfortable using a defibrillator on a woman, as its pads need to be placed on bare skin in the chest area.

Lack of recognition: It is a common myth that women suffer from unusual or ‘atypical’ heart attack symptoms, when in reality, both sexes have very similar symptoms and warning signs of cardiac arrest. Some data suggests that women are less likely to be recognised by bystanders as experiencing cardiac arrest (Perman et al., 2019), including being less likely to receive in-hospital interventions (Lei et al., 2020).

Training: 95% of CPR training manikins on the global market are flat-chested, and are used in training demonstrations with no bra being worn (St John Ambulance). Ensuring CPR training manikins are representative of diverse bodies bystanders may encounter will assist in improving bystander CPR delivery and cardiac arrest survival outcomes for all.

How to Get Involved

To get involved in the campaign, there are three easy steps members can take:

1. Engage in CPR Training

Did you know: The British Heart Foundation (BHF) offers free online 15-minute CPR training that you can do at home with just a phone and a cushion? Click here to use BHF’s RevivR training tool and access their free CPR and defibrillator training.

Completed your training? Join our wave of awareness by sharing a photo of you and your WI making a heart shape with your hands, just like our campaign logo. Upload your image to social media with the hashtag #BystandersCanBeLifesavers. You can tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or send them to NFWI by emailing pa@nfwi.org.ukWe are encouraging WI members to complete CPR training, and encourage others in their community to do the same. With many people witnessing a cardiac arrest in their lifetime, it is crucial that as many members as possible know what to do if that moment comes.

2. Complete our survey

We are encouraging all WI members to increase their understanding and confidence in the delivery of CPR. When you or your WI has completed CPR training, we would be grateful if you could complete the short survey below so that we can monitor the scale of the impact of this campaign.

Click here to complete our short survey.

3. Complete our quiz

Why not start your next WI Meeting with our quiz and test your knowledge on cardiac arrest and CPR? You can download the Bystanders Can Be Lifesavers Quiz here to put your knowledge to the test. Download the answers here.

Save the Date: 16^th October is World Restart a Heart Day! Save the date in your diary and check back soon for updates on how you can get involved! If you are in the planning stages or have already made plans for the day, please get in touch with us at pa@nfwi.org.uk for a chance to be featured in WI Life!

You can read more on MyWI.

The shortlisted resolutions were:

1. Let’s talk about incontinence

It is estimated that 14 million people in the UK of all ages are suffering from bladder problems and a further 6.5 million with bowel problems. However, it is still a subject that is misunderstood and very hard to talk about. We call upon the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to examine in detail all areas of health and wellbeing that are affected by incontinence issues. We call for the government to commit to an up-to-date audit to provide a national picture of incontinence care, offering a baseline from which to drive improved services. We call upon the members of the WI to raise public awareness, remove the stigma around incontinence, to help reduce the significant impact on people’s lives.

2. Bystanders can be lifesavers 

There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests a year in the UK, and less than one in ten people survive. Women have a lower chance of surviving than men. Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillating can more than double the chances of survival. We call on WI members to work together to increase public confidence and training in the delivery of CPR and to work with local organisations to help improve access to defibrillators in their communities to give every person the best chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.

3. Join the repair revolution 

There is a huge excess in clothing production which has devastating consequences for the environment. The WI calls on the UK Government to join the repair revolution and strengthen the law and investment to support a circular economy of clothing and fabrics in the UK, where repair and reuse are achievable, accessible, and affordable to all. We also call on WI members to promote clothing reuse and repair in their communities.

4. Eliminate landfill of medication packaging 

Medication packaging, due to its complexity, is not routinely recyclable through local authority collections, usually leading to disposal in landfills. We call on the WI to proactively raise awareness by encouraging additional collection points where empty packaging can be easily returned for recycling. Furthermore, we call on manufacturing companies to acknowledge their moral responsibility to reduce their environmental impact by exploring simpler packaging alternatives that are easier to recycle or have less impact on the environment. These steps can significantly improve recycling rates to move towards eliminating landfill.

Previous Campaign

Dental Health Matters  2024-25

On 5 June 2024, over 5000 members gathered at the Royal Albert Hall in London. After passionate speeches and a lively debate the 2024 resolution passed with the support of over 95 per cent of WIs. 

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. 

The NFWI Public Affairs Department will now take the resolution away and develop a WI campaign to take action on the dental health crisis both locally and nationally. There will be lots of opportunities for members to get involved. 

In the meantime, the General Election is an excellent chance to get started, and we have developed a template letter you can use to share your concerns and start talking to your parliamentary candidates.

With a majority of 84 %, the Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife resolution passed at the 2023 NFWI Annual Meeting.

Now we are urging all members to get involved in the campaign to clean up our rivers. Our new campaign will be encouraging members to make and support applications to create bathing waters in rivers across England and Wales as a way to drive the clean up of our precious waters.

Bathing water designation can play a key role in tackling pollution as it means that water must be tested for the bacteria that causes illness during the bathing season, and because water companies have an obligation to tackle pollution in these locations.

How you can get involved

1. Find out more information about how to apply for inland bathing water by using the Surfers Against Sewage’s ‘Wild Water’ website.

Sign the Surfers Against Sewage petition here

The website contains a useful nine-step guide that provides guidance about applying for a designated bathing water. You can also access the Surfers Against Sewage community bathing waters toolkit here.

2. Save the date: Take part in the WI’s Week of River Action

Make a splash for clean rivers in your community by taking part in the WI’s Week of River Action from 11-18 September!

We will be asking WIs to join with local groups in your area campaigning for clean rivers to sound the alarm about the ecological state of the UK’s rivers.

Further details, including resource packs, are to be announced closer to the date. To register your interest in the WI’s Week of River Action, email the NFWI Public Affairs team on pa@nfwi.org.uk

3. Find out about sewage pollution in rivers in our area

You can find out about the location of combined sewage outflows (CSOs) in our area by looking at the Rivers Trust Sewage Map.

Resolution Shortlist 2023-24

At the NFWI Resolution Shortlist Selection meeting on 4 October 2022 member and federation delegates shortlisted four resolutions which will now be taken forward for further debate and selection by members.

The shortlisted resolutions are:

Save our Water: Every Drop Matters

As global temperatures rise, there is a risk drought will become more frequent in the UK.
This will place increasing strains on the UK’s water supply and endanger our natural world.
The NFWI calls on government and water companies to work together to develop robust plans that would ensure the UK’s long-term water security, including addressing water leakage from pipes. The NFWI calls on WI members to take immediate personal actions to value and conserve water.

Women to Women – Turning Over a New Leaf in the Lives of Women Tea Workers

While in the UK we enjoy our daily cuppa, the mostly women tea workers who produce our tea struggle to access living wages, decent housing, sanitation or education for their children due to the low prices paid to producers for tea. The NFWI calls on UK tea companies and retailers to take action to fix the broken tea buying system to enable plantation owners to give women tea pluckers a fair deal so they can live the healthy and prosperous family life they deserve.

Online Gambling Harm: Time for Action

Online gambling has substantially increased, resulting in a growing number of people being exposed to the risks of gambling-related harms. Current legislation is inadequate in addressing the harms caused by problem gambling and in providing protections to those affected. This resolution calls on decision makers to introduce updated legislation and regulation to address these issues, and for increased support to be made available to those affected by problem gambling, particularly women and children.

Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife

Water quality in our rivers is shameful. Legally, designated bathing waters must be regularly monitored for pollution. The NFWI urges its members, the wider public, local authorities and Government to make, support and promote applications for official designated bathing sites on appropriate stretches of rivers in their area. This will be as instrumental to the clean up of rivers as it has been for water quality improvement at coastal beaches.

Previous Campaigns

Fit for Purpose – Fit for Girls 

Girls’ clothing ranges often promote harmful gender stereotypes and can lack the practicality and robustness of boys’ clothing due to the differing design features and materials used. The NFWI calls on clothing manufacturers and retailers to produce and market clothes for girls at all ages which are equal to their boys’ clothing ranges in terms of design, quality and coverage, and which aim to empower and enable girls to feel comfortable and confident in whatever activity they choose throughout their childhood. Click here for more information.

Appropriate Sentencing of Non-Violent Women Offenders

Women in prison are some of the most vulnerable in society. The majority have committed non-violent offences, and many have been victims of much more serious offences than those they are accused of committing. Prison can do enormous lasting damage to women’s mental health, and research shows that community support and management can be far more effective and produce better reoffending outcomes than custodial sentences, as well as mitigate the negative impacts on children and their wider families. The NFWI therefore urges government to renew its focus on early-intervention and community-based solutions for women who have committed non-violent offences as a matter of urgency. Click here for more information.

3. Equality in Law for the Menopause

Too many women are experiencing discrimination at work and in wider society during the menopause. The NFWI calls on the Government to strengthen equality law by including the menopause as a protected characteristic alongside pregnancy and maternity under the Equality Act 2010, in order to provide better protection for women and to help tackle the stigma around menopause. Click here for more information.

Women and Girls with ASD and ADHD Under-Identified, Under-Diagnosed and Under-Supported

Women and girls presenting with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are going undiagnosed. The NFWI calls on the government and funding bodies to fund research into the female presentation of ASD and ADHD, and for action to be taken to improve the diagnosis process for women and girls, to ensure that they are equipped to better manage these conditions and do not suffer in silence. The NFWI further calls on WI members to raise awareness within their WIs of the issues facing women and girls with ASD and ADHD.  Click here for more information.

Tackling Digital Exclusion 

Digital exclusion in the UK is preventing a significant proportion of the population from accessing the internet, and therefore limiting access to essential services, learning opportunities and social connection. This can be due to a lack of internet connection, lack of access to devices or lack of digital literacy. With millions of people affected, the NFWI calls on the government to increase investment in digital infrastructure, ensure access to suitable devices and appropriate education and training.  Click here for more information

Current Campaigns

Our key campaigns are the main issues we are currently working on. 

Current Campaigns