Care not Custody

The Care not Custody campaign was aired by NFWI at a seminar at Salford University's Centre for Prison Studies where academics and professionals from across the criminal justice system examined the ways for improving the response to people with mental health problems. Funding has been promised to pilot 100 schemes to divert offenders with mental illness from prison.NFWI will be working with the Prison Reform Trust, Rethink, the NHS Confederation and the Centre for Mental Health with politicians to help to maintain the progress so far made. The WI is campaigning for an end to the detention of those with mental health problems who could be treated more appropriately in hospitals or community based alternatives.

No more Violence against Women

Research by the NFWI shows that new legislation on Legal Aid reform will have a harsh effect on vulnerable people, including victims of domestic violence. Ruth Bond, the National Chair expressed her concerns on the front page of the Daily Telegraph on 22 October. NFWI has been commissioned to carry out research by the Legal Action Group with funding from Barings Foundation.For copies of the research findings and a template letter to send to your MP about the Bill contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Climate Change

The National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) has launched an action pack which suggests ways in which members can make a difference in their local environment. The pack incorporates ideas to help the WIs engage with other organisations at a local level to achieve solutions. There are activities for "nature lovers, food lovers and local lasses".

SOS Honeybees

The NFWI's Bee Aware campaign continues with a wealth of information available.

Women Reaching Women

NFWI has launched a new campaign called "Mums Matter" aimed at improving maternal healthcare in poor countries. With Oxfam the WI is encouraging its members to sign a petition to the UK Government to back the Millennium Development Goal to reduce the numbers of mothers dying in poor countries by three quarters by 2015. A petition form is in the WI Life  Issue 29.

Fairtrade

The National Federatin of Women's Institutes (NFWI) supports Fairtrade and encourages WI members to use accredited products. 

Food labelling

The subject of the resolution passed in 2010 was:

Country of origin labelling on all meat, poultry and fish products:  WI members are asked to raise the issue with their MEPs and MPs to put pressure on the European Parliament and the UK Government to back mandatory country of origin labelling. Further briefing notes and suggestions for letters are available from www.theWI.org.uk/campaigns.

Full details can be found on the National Federation of WI's website at www.womens-institute.org.uk under Campaigns.