HOW THE ANNUAL RESOLUTION PROCESS WORKS

  1. Stage I

    Between July and September each year, WIs and federations submit resolutions about current issues they are concerned about, to the NFWI.

  2. Stage II

    In early autumn, the submitted resolutions are discussed and debated by federation and member representatives and reduced to a shortlist.

  3. Stage III

    Between November and February, federations and WIs hold meetings to discuss the shortlisted resolutions, giving every member the chance to have their say on the shortlist. Each member casts their selection for the resolution they support the most.  Note: at this stage you are giving individual member votes.

  4. Stage IV

    The NFWI Board of Trustees reviews the results of the member selections and agrees on the resolutions to go forward to the Annual Meeting. This is usually one resolution, but sometimes more than one is taken forward. These resolutions are then again discussed by each WI to determine how they wish their delegate to vote at the AM.  Note: at this stage you are giving a single vote by your whole WI.

  5. Stage V

    At the Annual Meeting, delegates (who represent all the WIs in their “Link”) hear from the resolution proposer, seconder and experts on the topic before they cast votes on behalf of their Link WIs to adopt a resolution. If a resolution is adopted it will go on to form the basis of a WI campaign.


FWI Resolution Shortlist 2024-2025

At the NFWI Resolution Shortlist Selection meeting on 3 October 2024, members shortlisted four resolutions which will now be taken forward for further debate and selection by members.

The shortlisted resolutions are:

  1. Let’s talk about incontinence Lets-Talk-About-Incontinence-Briefing-Notes
  2. Bystanders can be lifesavers Bystanders-can-be-lifesavers-Briefing-Notes
  3. Join the repair revolution Join-the-repair-revolution-Briefing-Notes
  4. Eliminate landfill of medication packaging Eliminate-landfill-of-medication-packaging-Briefing-Notes

Next steps

Every member now has the opportunity to cast their individual selection on the resolution they support the most. WIs are encouraged to hold meetings to provide members with the opportunity to discuss and learn more about each resolution.

The deadline for members’ selections to reach their federations is 9 February 2025.

For more information and resources to support your selection, visit MyWI here.


Dental Health resolution passes at AM

On 5 June 2024, thousands of WI 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.

Dental Health Matters  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.

Essex Resolution Selections – 2024

The selections made by the members of FEWI regarding the resolutions which have been forwarded to NFWI.  The NFWI Board of Trustees finalise the resolution/s for the 2024 Annual Meeting based on the number of selections from WI Members nationwide.

RESOLUTION SHORTLIST 2023/24

At the NFWI Resolution Shortlist Selection meeting on 3 October 2023 member and federation delegates shortlisted four resolutions which will now be taken forward for further debate and selection by members.

The shortlisted resolutions are:

  1. Dental Health Matters

    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.

  2. Impacts of poor housing conditions

    Poor housing can have a deleterious effect on human health and wellbeing, safety and quality of life and can disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups in society.

    The NFWI calls on the UK Government to boost housing standards and regulations, increase funding for housing renovations, increase the supply of affordable and secure housing and strengthen collaboration with local authorities, housing associations and other relevant stakeholders to develop strategies that address local housing challenges.

  3. Say ‘no’ to gambling advertising

    Harm caused by excessive gambling is a global problem. Some countries are already addressing this by banning advertising. The NFWI calls on members, the government, regulators, the NHS, educationalists and gambling charities to work together towards achieving a complete ban on gambling advertising. This will reduce gambling harm, save the NHS money, protect family relationships and decrease the number of suicides, around 400 per annum at present.

  4. Improving Outcomes for Women in the Criminal Justice System

    There is an urgent need to radically reform decision-making in respect of women in the criminal justice system and in particular, pregnant women and women with children. We urge cross-government collaboration to deliver on the 2018 female offender strategy by setting goals, robust governance and performance measures to reduce the number of women who have committed non-violent offences from being imprisoned.

The resolution selection results are in!

This year there were over 93,000 individual selections cast by WI members and the most popular resolution, was Clean rivers for people and wildlife.

The NFWI Board of Trustees has agreed to put this resolution forward to the Annual Meeting in May.

Click here for further information.

Resolution Shortlist 2022/23

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:

  1. Save our water – every drop matters
  2. Women to women – turning over a new leaf in the lives of women tea workers
  3. Online gambling harm: time for action
  4. Clean rivers for people and wildlife

NEXT STEPS

Every member now has the opportunity to cast their individual selection on the resolution they support the most. WIs are encouraged to hold meetings to provide members with the opportunity to discuss and learn more about each resolution. However, if this is not possible members can research the issues
themselves and make their selection.

The selection slip can be found in the November/December issue of WI Life. A copy of the selection slip can also be downloaded on this page.

The deadline for members’ selections to reach their federations is 14 February 2023.

If you have any questions about returning your selection slip, please speak to your WI committee or your federation.

In addition to completing the selection slip in WI Life and posting it to your federation, WI’s can:

  • allow members to submit their selections directly to the WI secretary via email or telephone;
  • conduct an anonymous poll at a WI meeting; or
  • collect selections using electronic tools, such as via email or using a survey tool like SurveyMonkey.

Resolution Result 2022

In the lead-up to the NFWI Annual Meeting, WIs have been discussing the proposed resolution on ADHD and autism to decide how they wished to vote.

Resolution proposer Alison Long of Honor Oak WI, West Kent Federation, and seconder Rebecca Chauhan of Seven Hills WI, South Yorkshire Federation, introduced the debate at the Annual Meeting in Liverpool in June, before the meeting heard from expert speakers Francesca Happé, professor of cognitive neuroscience at King’s College London and Ginny Russell, associate professor of sociology at the University of Exeter.

Link Delegates and Federation Representatives then cast their votes and we are happy to confirm that the resolution Women and Girls with ASD & ADHD – under-identified, under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed, under-supported has passed with a majority of 96.5%.

Women and Girls with ASD & ADHD – under-identified, under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed, 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.

Honor Oak WI, West Kent Federation

This means the resolution is now an NFWI mandate and will form the basis of a national WI campaign which all members are invited to work on.

You can read more about the debate on the resolution at the Annual Meeting in the July edition of WI Life. A recording of the debate will also be available on the WI’s YouTube channel shortly.


Resolution Shortlist 2021/22

At the NFWI Resolution Shortlist Selection meeting on 5th October 2021 member and federation delegates shortlisted five resolutions which will now be taken forward for further debate and voting by members.

The shortlisted resolutions are:

  1. Fit for Purpose – Fit for Girls
  2. Appropriate Sentencing of Non-Violent Women Offenders
  3. Equality in Law for the Menopause
  4. Women and Girls with ASD and ADHD Under-Identified, Under-Diagnosed and Under-Supported
  5. Tackling Digital Exclusion

NEXT STEPS

Every member now has the opportunity to cast their individual selection on the resolution they support the most. WIs are encouraged to hold meetings to provide members with the opportunity to discuss and learn more about each resolution. However, if this is not possible members can research the issues themselves and make their selection.

The selection slip can be found in the November/December issue of WI Life. To request a copy of the selection slip, please contact the NFWI on pa@nfwi.org.uk

The deadline for members’ selections to reach their federations is 14 February 2022.

If you have any questions about returning your selection slip, please speak to your WI committee or your federation.

In addition to completing the selection slip in WI Life and posting it to your federation, WI’s can:

  • allow members to submit their selections directly to the WI secretary via email or telephone;
  • conduct an anonymous poll at a virtual WI meeting; or
  • collect selections using electronic tools, such as via email or using a survey tool like SurveyMonkey.

Details about the shortlisted resolutions can be found here.


Resolution Result 2021

The resolution ‘A call to increase awareness of the subtle signs of ovarian cancer’ has passed with a majority of 99.48%.

This means the resolution is now an NFWI mandate and will form the basis of a national WI campaign which all members are invited to work on.

What happens next?

You can now download our briefing on the new campaign with background information and some initial ideas about how you can take action.

Resolutions Selection Results 2020/2021

Between November 2020 and January 2021, every WI member had the chance to have their say on the shortlist and the resolution they would like to see go forward to the Annual Meeting on 8th June.

The results of the 2021 resolution shortlist selection process are:

2021 resolutions

Selections

1

A call to increase awareness of the subtle signs of ovarian cancer

30,240

2

Stop women dying prematurely from coronary heart disease

16,285

3

Racism and discrimination

5,363

4

Now’s the time to act! Protect your nature space to create wildlife-friendly communities

7,808

5

Stop the destruction of peat bogs to tackle climate change

6.616

 

Total selections received

66,312

The NFWI Board of Trustees has decided to put forward the top resolution to the Annual Meeting.

This year there were 66,312 selections cast.

The wording of the resolution is as follows:

A call to increase awareness of the subtle signs of ovarian cancer

Every two hours in the UK someone dies of ovarian cancer. Making sure GPs and the public know what to look for will not only ensure the early detection and treatment of this disease but transform lives today and for generations to come. NFWI calls on WI members everywhere to help increase awareness of the subtle signs of ovarian cancer.

What happens next?

Members now have the opportunity to learn more about the issues, and to discuss the resolution in their WIs before deciding how their WI should vote after the Annual Meeting.

WIs and federations are also encouraged to hold discussion events online (or in-person where possible and in line with Government public health guidelines), to allow members to consider how they wish their WI to vote.

How does my WI cast our vote?

All WIs get one vote – for or against the resolution.

The vote on the resolution for the 2020/21 process will take place after the Annual Meeting as planned. WIs will have time before and after the Annual Meeting in June to consider how they wish to vote. The voting will take place via an online form (with an alternative available where this is not feasible).

More guidance on how WIs can cast their vote online will be circulated in due course.

What resources are available to support WI discussions?

To support members to get involved the NFWI Public Affairs team has produced a range of resources:

If you have any questions about the Annual Meeting resolution or the resolutions process please contact your WI Adviser.

Resolution Documents

Please find the resolution documents below:


Resolution Selection Results 2020

(scroll down for information on next steps for your WI to take, and resources available to help you make your decision)
 

Between November and February, every WI member had the chance to have their say about the resolution they wished to go forward to the Annual Meeting in London on 4th June.

2020 resolutions

Selections

1     

A Call to increase potential stem cell donor registration     

38,280

2

Female crash test dummies

9,124

3

End modern slavery

35,395

4

Time to talk about death and dying

9,820

5

Protect our precious helium

11,705

 

Total selections received

104,262

 

As “A call to increase potential stem cell donor registration” is ahead of “End Modern Slavery” by only around 3000 selections, the NFWI Board of Trustees has agreed that both resolutions will go forward to the Annual Meeting.
This year’s there were 104,262 selections cast.

The wordings of the resolutions are as follows:

A call to increase potential stem cell donor registration

There is an urgent need to increase the number of people registered on the aligned UK stem cell registry in order to provide potentially life-saving treatment to people of all ages with certain blood cancers. We call on all WI members to promote registration to the database to avoid people dying whilst waiting for a match.

End Modern Slavery

There are tens of thousands of victims of modern slavery hiding in plain sight in the UK. Modern slavery has severe consequences for the health and mental wellbeing of survivors. The NFWI calls on the Government to protect victims of modern slavery in the first instance and deliver longer term support to help them rebuild their lives. We call on our members to raise awareness of the prevalence of modern slavery throughout society and to campaign to defeat it.

What happens next?

Members now have the opportunity to learn more about the issues, and to discuss the resolution in their WIs before deciding how they wish their delegate to vote at the Annual Meeting.

WIs and federations are also encouraged to hold discussion events to allow members to consider how they wish their delegate to vote.

How does my WI cast our vote?

All WIs get one vote for each resolution. This means your WI shouldn’t vote for one resolution over the other but should vote for or against each one independently. If both resolutions are passed at the AM, the NFWI will campaign on both issues.

Your WI can also choose to give discretion to your delegate to decide how to vote after hearing the presentations and debate at the annual meeting.

Only votes cast for and against the resolutions will be counted, in accordance with the voting procedure set out in the NFWI Memorandum and Articles of Association. Abstaining means that a delegate would not cast a vote, and therefore this abstention would not be counted.

What resources are available to support WI discussions?

To support members to get involved the NFWI Public Affairs team has produced a range of resources:

If you have any questions about instructing your delegate please contact our Public Affairs team at: 

If you have any questions about the Annual Meeting resolution or the resolutions process please contact the NFWI Public Affairs Department via publicaffairs@nfwi.org.uk.

NFWI Resolution Timetable 2019/20

1 July 2019

Mailing: Resolution submission forms sent to federations and WIs.

13 September 2019

Closing date for resolutions to be submitted to the NFWI.

Please note: The federation deadline is earlier (check with your federation)

23 September 2019

Federation shortlisting representatives notified of details of resolution shortlist selection meeting.

Resolutions longlist circulated.

1 October 2019

Federation representatives meet to compile shortlist of resolutions, supported by NFWI trustees and staff as appropriate.

1 November 2019

Shortlist resolution resources including videos and PowerPoint presentations published on NFWI website

20 November 2019

Shortlisted resolutions, paragraphs of essential facts and points, and selection slip appear in the November issue of WI Life.

Late Nov 2019 –
early Feb 2020

Federations and WIs hold meetings to discuss the shortlisted resolutions. Members select the resolution they support the most.

14 February 2020

Deadline for resolution selection results to be returned to federations.

21 February 2020

Deadline for federations to return tallied selection results to the NFWI.

Late February 2020

NFWI Board of Trustees finalises resolution/s for 2020 Annual Meeting agenda, based on the number of selections from WI members.

Memo is sent to federations confirming the outcome.

1 April 2020

Mailing: Annual Meeting resolution/s briefings and wording
sent to federations, WIs and WI Advisers.

April 2020

Annual Meeting resolution/s published in WI Life.

April & May 2020

Federations and WIs hold meetings to discuss the Annual Meeting resolution/s. WIs vote for or against one or more resolutions, or give their delegates discretion*.

1 May 2020

Deadline for resolution amendments and urgency resolutions sent to the NFWI.

4 June 2020

Vote on resolution/s held at the Annual Meeting.

 

Resources

Find a selection of resources below to help you learn more about the resolutions:

 

 

Resolutions-Process-2019-FAQ.docx

20.06.2019

A Frequently Asked Questions document about the resolutions process.Download >

  
 

 

Resolution Results 2019 Are In!

The results of the 2019 resolution shortlist selection process are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Improving plant biosecurity 13,010

Trees- improving the natural landscape 18,959

Pelvic floor education 8,401

Suffering in silence- menstrual health taboo 8,912

Decline in local buses 35,194

Don’t fear the smear 20,825

Total selections received to date 105,184

This year’s total is the most selections cast since the individual selection process was introduced, with over 105,000 selections cast by members. In order to allow members the opportunity to work on a breadth of issues, the NFWI Board of Trustees has decided to put forward the top two resolutions to the Annual Meeting.

The wordings of the two selected resolutions are as follows:

A call against the decline in local bus services

Over the last decade there has been a massive decline in the number of bus services, particularly of those in rural and semi-rural areas. In order to alleviate loneliness, improve health and well being, as well as promoting sustainable development, the NFWI calls on the Government and local authorities to increase subsidies and work in partnership with bus companies and community transport operators to enable an adequate provision of services.

Don’t fear the smear

Cervical screening saves around 5,000 lives a year, yet attendance is currently at its lowest for a decade. The NFWI urges WI members to attend routine screening, to take action to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening and address barriers to attendance to help eradicate cervical cancer.

Next Steps: Voting

WIs should now consider how they wish their delegate to vote at the Annual Meeting in Bournemouth on 5th June. All WIs get one vote per resolution – for or against. This means WIs shouldn’t vote for one resolution over the other, but should vote for or against each one independently. If both resolutions are passed at the AM, the NFWI will work on both issues.

WIs may choose to give their delegate discretion to decide how to vote after hearing the speakers’ presentations for and against the resolution and the debate at the Annual Meeting. Please ensure your WI makes it clear to your delegate whether you are granting her discretion.

WIs and federations are also encouraged to hold discussion events in to allow members to consider how they wish their delegate to vote.

You can find a selection of resources to help you learn more about the resolutions on the WI website and on My WI including:

Detailed briefing notes about each resolution.
A PowerPoint presentation on the topics.
Quizzes to test your knowledge.
A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document about the resolutions process.
A discussion guide with ideas about how to discuss the resolution in your WI.
Videos

If you have any questions about instructing your delegate please contact your federation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have any queries please contact Lindsey Peters on

lindseypetersfewi@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


October: Celebrating 100 years of WI Resolutions

October 2018 marked 100 years since the first WI resolution was passed. This was an Essex led resolution, and proposed by Epping WI about the need for Social Housing

campaign 1
 

What can WIs do to mark this occasion?

  • as a WI, take this time to look at past resolutions from your WI or Federation and to see what impact they have had on our society
  • why not organise a discussion event or coffee morning, within your WI, to consider the progress we have made over the last 100 years
  • discuss what still needs to change
  • share ideas about what you can do at a grass roots, every day level
  • you could also use this event to think about and maybe plan your own resolution to submit

For further ideas and support with resolutions, please contact Andrea or Lindsey at FEWI.


 

Mental Health Matters AGM Vote Results:

5945 FOR, 103 AGAINST

CARRIED BY 98%

2018 Resolution Resources

NFWI Public Affairs have prepared a selection of very useful resource for your WI to use to decide whether they wish to vote for or against the resolution:

These are as follows:

2018 Resolution Confirmed By NFWI

NFWI have confirmed the 2018 resolution with the following statement on their FB page:

“Over 100,000 members have taken part in the 2018 selection process, the highest turnout ever. Thank you to all members who have taken part. One resolution has now been selected to go forward to the final vote at the Annual Meeting in Cardiff on 6th June.

The resolution is: Mental Health Matters

Mental health matters as much as physical health. The NFWI urges all WI members to recognise the importance of parity between mental health and physical health, and take action to make it as acceptable to talk about mental health issues as much as physical health issues, and to lobby government for better support for mental illness.”

The resources for you to debate this effectively will now be prepared by NFWI and we will share these with you as soon as they become available. The FEWI team will also keep you up to date with information and will be running their Pros and Cons workshop in March to support you too – see above for details.

How does my WI cast our vote?

Your WI gets one vote for the resolution which is either for or against. Your WI can also choose to give your delegate the discretion to decide how to vote at the Annual Meeting, after hearing the presentations and debate about the resolution.

Abstentions do not count

Only votes cast for and against the resolutions will be counted, in accordance with the voting procedure set out in the NFWI Memorandum and Articles of Association. Abstaining means that a delegate would not cast a vote, and therefore this abstention would not be counted.