About 1,000 rural women from around the world are expected to gather in Hobart, Australia, next week.
The delegates to the 24th triennial conference of the Associated Country Women of the World will include 30-40 from Canada.
The 15,000 kilometre journey for those from Western Canada is not taken lightly. A number of women’s institutes members were not able to go because of the distance, time and expense.
Manitoba WI president Diane Hall is one of them.
“Nobody from Manitoba is going,” she said.
Read Also
Stock dogs show off herding skills at Ag in Motion
Stock dogs draw a crowd at Ag in Motion. Border collies and other herding breeds are well known for the work they do on the farm.
“Yes, I could get on a plane in Winnipeg and get off in Hobart and go to the meetings but … we’re saving our pennies to go to the next ACWW convention in Helsinki, Finland, in three years.”
Canada had one of the bigger delegations at the last ACWW conference, which was held in Hamilton, Ont., in 2001. This year’s conference is expected to draw many women from Asia.
One westerner attending the March 23-29 Australian meeting is Alberta WI president Mildred Luz. She is already packing and said she goes to ACWW meetings because, “in women’s institutes, this is the top step.” This will be her fourth ACWW conference. She is one of 10 Albertans attending.
“The one thing that really impressed me when I first went is the coming in of all the countries’ flags (at the opening ceremony). That was just heartfelt, amazing.”
Luz said another great part of the ACWW, which represents nine million women around the world, is the friendships that develop as women share their lives.
All members of WIs in Canada can attend ACWW meetings because their provincial branches are affiliated to the world body based in London, U.K. Also going to Australia is National Farmers Union delegate Colleen Ross of Ontario.
At the conference the Canadian delegates are expected to choose a new representative who will attend ACWW meetings to present Canada’s viewpoint. Three western WI members are among the five women vying for that position – Fay Mayberry of Red Deer, Alison Wilson of Glen Bain, Sask., and Ruth Fenner of Crofton, B.C.
One-third of the motions to be debated at the world meeting will deal with agriculture. The most controversial one, put forward by an American group, asks the delegates to support the use of biotechnology in agriculture throughout the world. Some European and developing nations have concerns about biotechnology and food.
Other farm-related motions ask the delegates to support food self-sufficiency for the developing world, to raise awareness of the dangers of industrial-style agriculture that promotes quantity over quality, and to press their governments for sterner laws for those who destroy crops and research laboratories or free animals “under the misguided notion of protecting the environment and animals concerned.”
In other general motions, the ACWW will deal with the issues of cheaper drugs for AIDS patients, phasing out of manmade chemicals from the environment, preventing war and dealing with the exploitation of women and children that follows political turmoil.
