The Women's Institute is to revert to being an Institute for Women

So based on this, should Scouts revert to being male-only? Or Gransnet only be for those with grandchildren?

Ladyleftfieldlover

For a while we had one man who attended WI meetings. He suffered from Alzheimer’s and couldn’t talk. His wife brought him to meetings as he wouldn’t be left with anyone apart from his wife. One day at a coffee morning he suddenly took out a mouth organ and played a tune beautifully.

That's lovely. LFFL. Good that they let him stay so his wife could attend.
The difference was that he wasn’t pretending to be a woman.

Not before time. I couldn’t help reading the WI’s statement of “It is with the utmost regret and sadness that we must announce that, from April 2026, we can no longer offer formal membership to transgender women” as It is with the utmost regret and sadness that we must announce that, from April 2026, we must obey the law.

Phew at last the Women’s Institute will be truly for biological women. Hooray.

I sent many emails of complaint to the National Federation of Women’s Institutes and got many ‘narky’ replies. When they said ‘A transwoman is a woman’ in an email to me, I said ‘You are deluded’ ! I got no response to that.

I heard the Woman’s Hour discussion and the WI representative clearly was very unhappy with the decision to bar transwomen from the WI.

I have said before my cousin was trans and I got on well with her. One of my best friend’s son is now her daughter and I often genuinely ask about her.

Common sense has returned to the WI, perhaps by force.

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Good. It’s a pity they had to be so mealy mouthed about it in their statement. If they want men to join they should change their title to People’s Institute.

The WI’s stance on trans-identified men was the main reason I didn’t rejoin when I moved areas. Whilst this is a welcome move, the language used suggests they’re more concerned with men’s feelings than their female members. Likewise GirlGuiding, of which I am a member. I’ve long been uncomfortable knowing that their safeguarding policy was unsafe.

When I saw this with the statement from the WI, that although they have taken this step, the WI holds to the belief that transwomen are women, I did wonder if they had actually asked the membership what they believed.

Surely an organisation is its members. Not the administrative staff.

No, Doodledog members were not asked their opinion and that has not down well with some. I am a multi-member, attending 2 local WI's. We have around 3 open meetings every year when we have a good speaker that non-members may like to come along to hear. Men are always welcome to these meetings, providing they cough up £2 for entry, tea & cake and they also make up teams for our very popular Annual Quiz. The WI are bowing to the Supreme Court ruling according to the National Chair this morning.

The trans activists have done their 'cause' no favours by the aggressive methods they have used to invade women only spaces. I welcome this about turn. Girl guides have changed their stance too.

Good.

Cherrytree59

Check out Mumsnet...
DH v WI (thread 1 and 2)
Mumsnet husband who has in part been responsible for the WI change of mind.
Mumsnetter *Another2cats *

Yes, that’s the thread I mentioned.

I will listen on Sounds later, but wondered what people thought of the changes.

That’s a lovely story, Ladyleftfieldlover. I doubt many people would object to men such as you describe being included- it is the insistence that women can have nowhere without men being present that hardened a lot of hearts, I think.

For a while we had one man who attended WI meetings. He suffered from Alzheimer’s and couldn’t talk. His wife brought him to meetings as he wouldn’t be left with anyone apart from his wife. One day at a coffee morning he suddenly took out a mouth organ and played a tune beautifully.

I saw it on the WI Instagram account.

Check out Mumsnet...
DH v WI (thread 1 and 2)
Mumsnet husband who has in part been responsible for the WI change of mind.
Mumsnetter Another2cats

Common sense prevails slowly.

I didn't hear it, but you can access it on Sounds.
I always felt rather sorry for the members of Working Men's Clubs, Gentlemen's Clubs, and I wonder how the Groucho is fairing now.

I also wonder if Sandra Peggie's case will ever be resolved