Sure, most of its members can bake a mean scone, and they’re dab hands with a sewing machine too, but baking and handicraft are just the tip of the iceberg for the Country Women’s Association (CWA).
Earlier this year Australia’s largest organisation of women celebrated its 93rd birthday, and addressing long-held misconceptions about what the CWA actually does is one of the key items on its agenda.
“In many cases the public perception is still that we’re just a bunch of little old ladies who sit around knitting, chatting and baking scones,” says Tanya Cameron, the president of CWA NSW. And while she acknowledges that many women join to do just that – and to benefit from the friendship and support that comes with it – she says this is by no means the full picture.
“For me it’s always been about the organisation’s role as a strong advocate for rural women, for women in general, and for communities,” she says.
It’s a broad mandate but one that members have been quietly fulfilling for decades both in their local area – on very specific issues – and at state, national and international level in support of the organisation’s broader aims.
An impressive scorecard
In 1922 when women arrived at their first gathering in Sydney – many by horse and cart – a lack of maternal and child health facilities was one of the big issues that drew them together. Within the first year, the newly formed CWA had set up a number of much-needed baby health centres, and members went on to fund bush nurses and maternity wards and even the first Flying Doctors base station at Broken Hill.
These days, as Cameron says, many of these services are now government funded, so the CWA focuses its efforts on filling other gaps across Australia and abroad. For CWA of NSW, lobbying government for more equitable access to technology in rural and remote areas and better nurse-to-patient ratios are among today’s priorities, as is providing for those in dire need.
“Last year we supported NSW families through the drought with two huge donations because we didn’t feel that the government was doing enough,” says Cameron. Beyond the homefront, Médecins Sans Frontières received $50,000 to help fight the Ebola crisis in West Africa and the women of Papua New Guinea are regular recipients of CWA support.
There are education grants, and each year the state body funds a medical research project. In September, CWA of NSW also announced its support for Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia and its 1800RESPECT helpline, because as Cameron said on her blog, “18,000 calls went unanswered last year.”
“Members were asked to run a function that raised money for either a refuge in their local community or the 1800 line, and next year at a state level we will fund personal development workshops for frontline health professionals and community workers, particularly in rural areas,” she says.
A new face for a grand dame
Of course, making strides in all these areas requires a big voice with which to drive change. And like many volunteer organisations, the CWA has struggled to attract new recruits. While in its heyday during the 1950s, the NSW chapter boasted around 30,000 members, current figures sit just shy of the 10,000 mark.
To garner support, the CWA is now making a concerted effort to modernise. For instance, by launching evening branches to accommodate more working women. “We’ve seen at least four open recently and they’ve skyrocketed in membership,” says Cameron. Newer urban branches with a younger demographic, such as Greystanes in Sydney’s western suburbs, are also helping to shake off out-dated stereotypes, adopting ‘Chicks With Attitude’ as their preferred moniker instead of the oft-quoted ‘Cranky Women’s Association’ and proudly admitting that it’s their husbands who do the baking.
Communication is also key to the organisation’s success. “We’re trying really hard to make sure people understand all the different things that we do lobby on and work for,” says Cameron. As part of this, CWA of NSW has taken on a PR team to ensure better media coverage and posts regularly to its Facebook page.
“There are so many different facets of the organisation and, in some respects, this makes it difficult to manage,” Cameron adds. But, by the same token, it also makes the CWA a great option if you are looking to volunteer.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re interested in cultural pursuits or handicrafts and cookery; agriculture and the environment; advocacy and lobbying; or whether you want to fundraise for something in your community; we cover all of those things in some way or another,” she says.
To get involved, simply make contact with your local branch – there are approximately 400 across NSW and the ACT and many more scattered throughout the other states and territories – and if you can’t find one near you, why not start your own?
What would you like to do to improve conditions for women in your local community or beyond? Please comment below.
This story first appeared on former NRMA site Livingwell Navigator in Jan, 2016. Image courtesy of John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
