HAMILTON, Ont. — Pat Rod’s husband mischievously calls the Associated Country Women of the World the “old ladies of the world” group.
But the Princeton, Illinois, man is not too far from the mark. The group is an aging one.
His wife, Pat Rod, who was attending her sixth ACWW convention in Hamilton, became a member automatically when she joined the Home Bureau in 1953 when she was 18. She attended her first ACWW convention in 1958, when it was held in the United States.
Pat said the best part of ACWW is meeting people from all over the world. She has made friendships and writes and visits with women from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
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“It’s eye awakening when you see what other women in the world have,” Rod said.
“We don’t have it so bad.”
She recalled seeing women in Africa doing road construction with shovels and wheelbarrows.
But it is difficult getting women’s institute members interested in international issues, said Northern Ireland delegate Noreen Martin.
“They have to see it themselves or be inspired by a speaker.”
Fellow Irish delegate Mary Fox said the women are more excited by crafts and food or have off-farm jobs and little time for meetings. Irish farmers are mostly concerned about a return of foot-and-mouth disease.
Empowerment was the main issue for 19 delegates from developing nations. They attended a special seminar to learn leadership skills.
In a News release
news, the organization noted that the African participants in the workshop said women’s groups are important.
“At first, the husbands said ‘no, you cannot attend meetings,’ ” the release said.
“Then it changed to ‘you may go but do not say anything.’ Now the men recognize that the women, by sharing ideas and developing new skills, are actually helping them, their families and their communities.”
Women’s hearts are fused to their souls, said keynote speaker Norm Rebin of Saskatoon, referring to the ACWW convention theme that volunteers make visions a reality.
“I see women sacrificing themselves so others might enjoy more,” Rebin said.
“To those women kept in chains, mutilated by stupidity … the trends are on your side. World consciousness is emerging that women are needed to guide the way. Even men are starting to recognize women’s roles as volunteers.”
The motivational speaker said all volunteers are activists by nature because they make the world better.
Rebin said ACWW’s first message to the world should be that it’s not OK to stop women from getting an education or to allow people to die of AIDS.
“WIs plant hope. Is literacy or hygiene instantaneous? No. You plant hope. Without that you have nothing.”
Rebin said the ACWW needs to get a chorus of voices from the public, governments and media backing its aims to quicken success.
