At least 12 Women\u2019s Institute (WI) groups are closing or considering closure after the organisation barred transgender women from membership.<\/p>\n
Members say more groups are likely to close, and that the federation\u2019s decision has opened up a toxic, traditionalist culture that will deter younger women from joining.<\/p>\n
Branches said they felt forced to shut after the National Federation of Women\u2019s Institutes (NFWI) confirmed that, from April, membership will be restricted to those registered female at birth. Several plan to relaunch as independent social groups.<\/p>\n
The WI is one of the UK\u2019s largest voluntary organisations, with thousands of local branches and about 180,000 members nationwide.<\/p>\n
Emma Hawley, chair of Social Lites WI in Urmston, Greater Manchester \u2013 a group with nearly 140 members that has run for 13 years \u2013 said her entire committee has decided to step down.<\/p>\n
\u201cNone of the other members want to take our places \u2013 many immediately said they weren\u2019t even going to renew their membership,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all heartbroken. I\u2019ve put 13 years into running this amazing group but I can\u2019t, ethically or morally, be a member of something that excludes transgender women,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Seven Hills WI in Sheffield will also close after the current board decided to step down and no other members came forward.<\/p>\n
Clementine Dexter, vice-president of Seven Hills WI, said the group received about 220 abusive online comments after posting that they were closing. \u201cOut of 250 comments, there were just 30 that were supportive,\u201d she said. \u201cThe rest were really abusive and awful.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NFWI\u2019s decision has emboldened certain members to speak their minds and I think the federation has a serious issue as a result,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to struggle even more than it already does to attract younger members, and the more conservative members are going to be more emboldened to stick to what feels like a toxic culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dexter said she had met Melissa Green, NFWI chief executive. \u201cWe asked how this would be policed and were told that gender at birth would be included in the list of questions determining eligibility for membership,\u201d she said. \u201cMembers have to reapply every year and that just feels really nasty. I can\u2019t be a member of an organisation that does that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even branches continuing under the new WI rules said they are facing practical fallout. Some have lost venues; others report speakers cancelling bookings.<\/p>\n
Sophie Hossack, president of Ladies of the Lock WI in Kentish Town, London, said the venue they have used for nearly a decade has refused future bookings because of the policy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said they did not feel comfortable renting their room to us because they are a trans-inclusive space,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Nora Salmon\u2019s Hackney Wicked Women group \u2013 Hackney Wick\u2019s WI \u2013 will also close next month. She said the NFWI\u2019s decision had created \u201ca carnage of concern and upset\u201d and that groups had received little support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were blindsided by their decision,\u201d she said. \u201cThe lack of guidance and consultation has left us feeling betrayed. When we contacted them to say we\u2019d lost members and were closing, the only response we got was, \u2018We\u2019re sorry to hear that\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n