The shortlist for 2020/21 has been finalised and you can read about the five proposed resolutions below. You can vote individually for your own preferred resolution by using the selection slip in the November/December issue of WI Life magazine.
We will be presenting the five resolutions at our January meeting and will provide opportunities for every Nutfield Gal to vote for the resolution that we, as a group, put forward to NFWI.
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.
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women, mainly affecting those who have been through the menopause. According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 7,500 new ovarian cancer cases in the UK each year and 4,100 deaths.
The symptoms of ovarian cancer include: feeling constantly bloated; a swollen tummy, feeling full quickly when eating; and needing to pee more often than normal.
The earlier ovarian cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat and so public awareness and understanding of the symptoms is really Important. Cancer Research UK states that when ovarian cancer is diagnosed early, nine out of ten women will survive for five years or more. This compares to less than three in 20 women when diagnosed at the latest stage.
However, because the early signs of ovarian cancer are similar to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). It is often not diagnosed until it has spread and a cure is not possible. The latest data seemingly available (from 2017) shows that 48% of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at a late stage (either stages III or IV).
One of the main challenges to ensuring that people see their GP early is that many women do not feel confident that they could spot a symptom of ovarian cancer. A survey carried out by the charity Target Ovarian Cancer in 2016 with more than 1,300 women put this figure at 4%.
In England, the number of urgent referrals for suspected cancer has fallen by 60% since the Covid-19 pandemic. Target Ovarian Cancer says that many women are worried about visiting GP surgeries with symptoms for fear of overburdening the GP or coming into contact with the virus.
Tallking Points
· In 1999 the NFWI passed a resolution calling for further research into a test for ovarian cancer. This resolution would therefore offer an opportunity to build on the WI’s earlier work on this issue.
Further Information
· Cancer Research UK – www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/ovarian-cancer
Now's the time to Act! Protect your nature space to create wildlife-friendly communities
UK wildlife is in decline but solutions exist within all our communities. The NFWI calls on its members to participate in national schemes and local organisations and mobilise their groups to take action to protect wildlife in their own or local green spaces, protecting biodiversity and the environment and creating a network of accessible wildlife-friendly communities throughout the UK.
Unequal access to wildlife and nature affects mental and physical health and life expectancy. A 2020 survey of our WI membership highlighted that 92% of survey participants strongly agreed/agreed that communities should value and protect our local green spaces further.
The 2019 State of Nature Report found 41% of UK species are in decline and one in ten species is threatened with extinction. In September 2020, the RSPB found that the Uk failed to reach 17 out of 20 UN biodiversity targets agreed over 10 years ago, resulting in a ‘lost decade for nature’. These failures include insufficient funding for nature conservation – dropping by £250 million over the last 10 years – too little land being managed for nature and declining wildlife populations.
As this resolution is asking WI members to participate in pre-existing national and local wildlife schemes, work on this resolution could involve a number of campaign partners, including RSPB, the RHS, The National Trust, WWF, Earthwatch UK, Naturehood and The Wildlife Trust.
Talking Points
· This resolution is timely and topical; members would be able to take action on it in a socially distanced way
· If current social distancing measures continue, this resolution could be more relevant to WI members with access to private gardens than those without green space. However, the NFWI could work to pinpoint a range of activities which would be open to all WI members with diverse access to green space.
Further Information
· RSPB: www.rspb.org.uk
· RSPB’s Lost Decade for Nature report
· RSPB’s 2019 State of Nature report
Racism and Discrimination
Systemic racism and discrimination are still prominent challenges in society. The global protests surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement have once again emphasised the extent of the inequality and injustice that people from BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities still face across a wide range of settings including the justice system, employment, education and healthcare.
The NFWI and its members, in furtherance of their duties as citizens, agree to take concrete action to stamp out racial inequalities including by:
· Campaigning for decision makers to implement the recommendations of existing reviews on racial inequality and taking action following forthcoming reviews
· Raising public awareness of these issues
· Otherwise taking suitable action to increase recognition of, and help to address, this inequality and injustice.
A survey from 2019 found that 71% of people from ethnic minorities have faced racial discrimination, compared with 58% in January 2016, illustrating the rising numbers of racially motivated incidents.
Although the Black Lives Matter protests have brought racism to the fore, evidence shows that racial discrimination still exists at all levels of society. In the criminal justice system, Black people are more likely to be prosecuted and to receive longer sentences. Black people account for 3% of the UK population, but 8% of deaths in custody in the UK.
Huge disparities also exist within healthcare. According to UK government data, Black people are four times more likely to die from Covid-19 than their white counterparts. Moreover, there remains a five-fold difference in material mortality rates amongst women from Black ethnic backgrounds and an almost two-fold difference amongst women from Asian ethnic backgrounds compared to white women.
Structural racism is also exemplified in education and employment. According to the Department of Education, white British students are more than 3 times more likely to achieve high grades than Black Caribbean students.
Talking Points
· The WI does not have an existing mandate directly relating to racial injustice. This resolution would enable the WI to call on Government to implement the recommendations of existing reviews on racial inequality and take action following forthcoming reviews.
Further Information
· Runnymede Trust Survey: www.runnymedetrust.org
· YouGov research: www.yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/explore/issue/Racism
Stop women dying prematurely from coronary heart disease (CHD)!
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is twice as deadly for women in the UK as breast cancer. To avoid premature deaths caused by a lack of awareness of the symptoms and misdiagnosis, the NFWI calls on the WI members to improve understanding among the public and healthcare professionals of the symptoms of a heart attack and its prevalence in society, particularly among women, and to campaign to tackle inequalities in treatment.
According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), there are around 830,000 women and 1.5 million men living with CHD in the UK.
The Heart Research Institute UK, The American Heart Association and the BHF all note that women do not always get the same ‘classic’ heart attack symptoms, such as crushing chest pain, meaning the potentially deadly symptoms go undetected for longer.
There are also complex inequalities in treatment and care. A women is 50% more likely than a man to receive the wrong initial diagnosis for a heart attack. This increases your risk of death within 30 days by 70%.
According to David Newby (BHF John Wheatley Professor of Cardiology at the BHF Centre of Research Excellence at the University of Edinburgh), women are less likely to seek medical attention and treatment.
This may be because they are underestimating their personal risk of a heart attack, taking care of caring responsibilities before coming to hospital or because they have a higher pain threshold.
Talking Points
· A campaign on this issue would align well with the WI’s charitable objects to advance health for the public benefit and to advance the education of women and girls.
· WI members are well connected in their communities and would be well-placed to raise awareness of this issue amongst their networks.
Further Information
· The British Heart Foundation – www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/women-and-heart-disease
Stop the destruction of peat bogs to tackle climate change
Peat cutting for compost is harming both our natural environment and our efforts to tackle climate change. 80% of peatlands in the UK are damaged and release millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. The WI calls on its members cease using peat-based compost, to persuade others to cease using it and to work with garden centres to encourage them to stock alternative products which already exist, thereby reducing the demand for peat to be harvested.
According to the organisation Plantlife, amateur gardening accounts for 69% of peat compost used in the UK and 3 billion litres of peat is used annually in our gardens.
Peat has historically been popular in gardening as it holds water well and has a predictable, consistent quality which is good for growing plants. But peat on ly grows by 1mm a year and commercial peat extraction can remove over 500 years’ worth of ‘growth’ in a single year. The drainage of peat bogs for commercial extraction dries out the peat bogs and they will eventually die. A dead peat bog will then begin to release its stored carbon into the atmosphere.
It is estimated that global peatlands store a combined 500 metric gigatons of carbon dioxide. Peatlands also work as natural flood defences and help to filter drinking water and are rich sites of biodiversity.
As over two-thirds of peat used in the UK is imported from the EU, it is unlikely that current measures taken by the UK Government to eliminate commercial peat extraction in the UK will force the peat industry completely into decline.
By raising awareness of the issue in their local communities, there is potential that WI members could influence the consumer choices of members of their communities and those of garden centres toward alternative peat-free gardening products.
Talking Points
· WI campaigns have historically proven very effective at raising awareness of a particular issue or problem
· This resolution has potential for partnership with Government, industry, environmental organisation – including the National Trust and the Eden Project and commercial businesses.
Further Information
· Plantlife: www.plantlife.org.uk – their report on ‘why we need to keep peat in the ground and out of our gardens
· National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/whats-so-special-about-peat
You can find out more about the Resolutions process timetable here:
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