World Rural Women’s Day 2016
The WI celebrated the International Day of Rural Women with the annual World Rural Women’s Day meeting held this year in the Loughshore Hotel, Carrickfergus on Saturday 15th October. International Sub-Committee Chairman Agnes Black chaired the proceedings. The main purpose of the meeting was to report on the ACWW 28th Triennial World Conference which was held in August at the University of Warwick, Coventry. Twenty-two delegates (including one brave husband) from Northern Ireland attended the Conference with representatives from forty-two countries across the globe. ACWW has a membership of 420 member societies in 73 countries and represents the voice of over 9 million women.
The members of the Federation were told about the continuing generosity of their organisation and individuals within it who provided sponsorship to assist delegates from Sri Lanka, Estonia and Latvia attend the World Conference.
Members were also told about the many Resolutions which were discussed at the Conference, including the use of Fructose as an alternative to sugar, the regulation of the shale gas and gold mining industries, and the plight of women and children in refugee camps. The members were informed that the Resolutions passed at the Conference would be taken forward by the ACWW UN Committee.
Reports were received about the work of the ACWW Agriculture and Projects Committees. The WI has representatives on both Committees. Since 1977 ACWW has funded over 1000 Projects and has distributed £2.2 million in grants to some of the poorest communities in the world. The WI in Northern Ireland have always been one of the most generous member societies.
The WI ladies were also delighted to hear that at the Conference Margaret McMillan of Mosside WI was appointed as European Area President. At the meeting Margaret gave the members an idea of what was expected of her in that role and how she would be very involved in arranging the European Area Conference in Romania next September.
To conclude the WRWD meeting some of the members put on the entertainment which they had performed at the ACWW Conference on the evening ‘The World Entertains’. It consisted of Cinderella in 5 minutes and, although not up to the Grand Opera House standard, it was great fun.
The WRWD meeting was followed that same day by the Autumn Council Meeting, chaired by Federation President Lady Anthony Hamilton.
Pictured at World Rural Women’s Day (L-R): International Sub-Committee Chairman Agnes Black, Federation Chairman Elizabeth Warden and ACWW European Area President Margaret McMillan.
