Discover more about the Women’s Institutes of Northern Ireland our mission, and our history.
The Women’s Institute is the largest non-political and non-sectarian organisation for women in Northern Ireland.
WI members are everyday women of all ages and backgrounds involved in extraordinary activities from local campaigns to national issues. The WI gives women like you an opportunity to change the world around you.
“To unite in promoting any work which makes for the betterment of our homes, and the development and improvement of rural and urban life through social and educational activities.”
We have a Chairwoman and an Executive Committee of talented, committed women who look after our strategies, accounts and development. Our Executive Members are elected from the membership and many contribute skills from their careers and life experience. Our leadership caretakes and supports all the Institutes in the Federation.
Chair
Vice Chair
Treasurer
The WINI is a registered charity and so all our constituent Institutes are also registered.
Women’s Institutes originated in Canada in 1897 with the aim of bringing women together, providing them with educational opportunities and the chance to make a difference in their communities. The concept spread to the United Kingdom (England and Wales est.1915 and Scotland est.1917) and following the formation of the first Institute in Northern Ireland in Garvagh in 1932 a significant number of institutes came into being in the 1930’s. There are also WIs in South Africa and New Zealand.
During the Second World War, the Ministry of Food put its scheme for the Preservation of Fruit into the hands of the Women’s Institute and by the end of the war the sense of community engendered in working together for the war effort ensured that the organisation was embraced by rural women and the number of institutes grew significantly. Plans for a Federation of Women’s Institutes of Northern Ireland were put into effect and the Constitution was drawn up in 1942. The strong foundations laid down then, with great emphasis on the strictly non-political, non-sectarian aspect of the movement has provided a sound base upon which The Federation of Women’s Institutes of Northern Ireland continues to operate.
The WINI is an active constituent member of The Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW), which is an International Non-Governmental Organisation, registered with the United Nations, that pursues its charitable objectives, the relief of poverty, the relief of sickness and the protection and preservation of heath and the advancement of education, through its member societies, individual members and networks of other non-member Non-Governmental Organisations.
The Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) works with rural women globally. It engages with, and advocates for, women at local, national and international levels. The Federation of Women’s Institutes of Northern Ireland (FWINI) is affiliated to ACWW.
ACWW is involved with the funding of grassroots development projects, created in partnership with local women, many of whom are members of their worldwide network. The projects respond to community needs, women-led, working with rural communities. ACWW makes use of its knowledge and experience, along with the valuable expertise of local women who know exactly what their communities require, to develop projects that lead to major changes within their communities.
Three priorities are addressed for funding:
Northern Ireland has always played an active role in the organisation of ACWW. In 1996, it hosted the European Area Conference, Hilda Stewart (Randalstown WI) was Deputy World President from 1996-8 and World President from 1998-2004. Margaret McMillan (Mosside WI) was European Area President from 2016 to her tragic death in 2018.
Currently Edwina Marr (Downpatrick WI) is Acting Chair of the ACWW Projects Committee, Margaret Broome (Seaforde WI) is Vice-Chair of the ACWW United Nations Committee and Pamela Brown (Ballywalter WI) serves on the ACWW Finance & Membership Committee.
The Women’s Institute is the largest non-political and non-sectarian organisation for women in Northern Ireland.
WI members are everyday women of all ages and backgrounds involved in extraordinary activities from local campaigns to national issues. The WI gives women like you an opportunity to change the world around you.
The Federation of Women’s Institutes of
Northern Ireland
209-211 Upper Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT10 0LL
+44 (0) 28 9030 1506
+44 (0) 28 9060 1781
