Gloucester Road WI Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy                            

April 2024

NFWI = National Federation of Women’s Institutes (www.thewi.org.uk)

  1.  Statement

‘Gloucester Road WI is an inclusive, welcoming and supportive organisation for all women, who live as women, including transgender women. ‘

  • Scope
  • The WI Federation is the UK’s largest women’s membership organisation founded on democratic principles over 100 years ago and this policy seeks to continue those ideals, in accordance with the law, ensuring that everyone who engages with the WI is treated fairly and has equal access to all opportunities, no matter what their background, characteristics or circumstances. 
  • This policy focuses on members and visitors to Gloucester Road WI – either visiting members or speakers.
  • This policy is in line with national WI Federation policies.
  • Objectives

The objectives of this policy are to: 

  • Demonstrate the WI’s active commitment to inclusion, diversity and equality.
  • Outline the legally protected characteristics and what members should expect from their membership experience. 
  • Promote inclusion so that the WI is a space for all women with no barriers to membership. 
  • Develop the WI’s on-going conversation about inclusion to increase awareness and share good practice. 
  • Membership of the WI 

WI membership is open to all women who live as women, including transgender women. The WI welcomes and celebrates a diverse cross-section of women, offering a space where they can be themselves surrounded by other supportive women. We do not ask members any personal questions as part of the joining process and are committed to ensuring all members are treated fairly and equally whatever their background or individual circumstances. We strive to provide equal access to all opportunities on a national and local level. 

Being a WI member means: 

  • Upholding the core values and ideals of the WI which are fellowship, truth, tolerance, and justice. 
  • Utilising educational opportunities to continue learning
  • Welcoming all women and forming friendships
  • Speaking up against inequity and promoting meaningful change in society. 

We also have a duty of care to all WI members, who have the right to feel safe and protected when with other members. In addition to our legal obligation to protect members from discrimination, we recognise our wider responsibility to ensure that the principles of equality and diversity sit within the core ideals of the WI. We acknowledge that treating members equally does not necessarily equate to treating everyone the same, but rather ensuring that all individual needs are met and accommodated for. 

  • Campaigns

The WI has been campaigning for over 100 years on issues that matter to our members. In particular, WI campaigns have spoken out against discrimination and taken positive actions to promote equality, inclusion and diversity. For example: Make a Match, Stop Modern Slavery, Equal Pay for Equal Work, Make Time for Mental Health, Link Together to Alleviate Loneliness, Carers Welcome and Care Not Custody. For more information about campaigns, please see http://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns or

  • The Protected Characteristics 

Members must not be treated less favourably, or be denied access to any opportunities, on the grounds of the protected characteristics, which are as follows:

  • Age
  • Disability (including mental health and hidden disabilities)
  • Gender reassignment
  • Marriage & civil partnership
  • Pregnancy and maternity
  • Race
  • Religion and belief (including those with no religion or belief)
  • Sex
  • Sexual orientation

Any such treatment may be discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. 

7. Age 

Discrimination based on age (also called ageism) occurs when someone is treated unfavourably because of their actual or perceived age. Membership of the WI is open to women who have reached the Age of Majority (the age at which you can vote). We therefore have a broad age range of members thus offering the opportunity to form intergenerational friendships. These friendships enrich the experience of being a WI member and enable women to meet and learn from women they may not usually meet in their day-to-day lives. 

8. Disability 

Under section 6 of the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. 

Some impairments are automatically treated as a disability such as cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis. ‘Impairment’ also covers difficulties associated with long-term medical conditions such as diabetes, and with fluctuating or progressive conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. 

‘Long-term’ means the impairment lasts, or is likely to last, for 12 months or more. ‘Normal day-to-day activity’ is defined as something you do regularly in a normal day. 

If you are receiving treatment or taking medication for the impairment, you can ignore the effect of this when deciding whether the impairment has a substantial, adverse effect on your day-to-day activities. This means the law considers how your condition affects you without your treatment or medication.

9. Making reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities 

The WI aims to ensure members with disabilities can, as far as possible, receive the same services as those who do not have disabilities. Reasonable adjustments may need to be made to minimise or remove the disadvantages experienced by those with disabilities. Examples of reasonable adjustments include:

  • Ensuring there is a lift when access is upstairs 
  • Ensuring there are accessible toilets. 
  • Allowing members who may feel anxious to arrive early and get settled before a meeting or event begins. 
  • Taking steps to ensure that members with illness or disability are able to arrive at and leave the meeting or event venue safely. 

What is reasonable depends on the circumstances of each individual case including: 

  • The type of disability
  • How practicable the adjustments are
  • How the adjustments would overcome the disadvantages experienced
  • The size and location of Gloucester Road WI, the resources available and the cost of the adjustments. These do vary over time.  

The WI Committee will speak to those members who require improved accessibility to fully understand and meet their needs, where appropriate, as above. 

Failing to make reasonable adjustments, where it is reasonable to make those adjustments, may be considered discrimination. Discussions and decisions on reasonable adjustments will be documented, detailing the reasoning for making or not making reasonable adjustments. 

10. Carers 

As part of ensuring meetings and events are accessible for disabled members where possible, carers of disabled members should be allowed to attend meetings and events. For more information please see the policy NFWI Access of Carers to Members with Disabilities to Meetings and Events. 

11. Transgender members 

The WI is an inclusive, supportive, and progressive organisation for all women who live as women, including transgender women. Transgender women are those assigned male at birth but live as women, and are welcome to join the WI and participate in WI activities in the same way as any other woman. The WI provides women with educational opportunities and the platform to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities whilst always celebrating what it means to be a woman. Therefore, including transgender women furthers our objectives and enriches our membership to ensure we are a place for all women to celebrate who they are and influence positive change in their communities.

When talking about transgender people, it is important to understand the difference between sex and gender. Sex is assigned to a person at birth on the basis of their sex characteristics (genitalia) e.g. male or female. Gender is often expressed in terms of masculinity and femininity, and is assumed from the sex assigned at birth. 

Gender identity is a person’s sense of their own gender which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth. Culturally, it is expected that a person’s gender identity is aligned with their sex assigned at birth.  For example, it is expected that a person who is assigned female at birth because of their sex will consider themselves a girl and then a woman. However, this isn’t the case for everyone. Sex does not always determine gender identity. People who feel that the sex and gender, assigned to them at birth does not match or sit comfortably with their own sense of gender may describe themselves as transgender, or use a similar term. 

Being a transgender woman is a protected characteristic (gender reassignment) under the Equality Act 2010. Being a transgender women includes the permanent decision to live as a woman and there is no legal requirement to have had gender reassignment surgery or other medical intervention. 

The WI does not ask members to prove their sex when they join the WI and it is not necessary or acceptable to request a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) from any member. 

12. Non-binary members 

Non-binary is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably within the binary categories of “female” or “male”. Gender is often expressed in terms of masculinity or femininity but it is important to think of a gender as a spectrum. Gender identity is a person’s sense of their own gender, and there are many different gender identities on this spectrum. 

Non-binary people may feel both male and female, something in between, or not either. They may have a gender identity that changes over time or they may not relate to gender at all. Non-binary people often use gender neutral pronouns such as they/theirs and it is therefore important to find out how a non-binary member wishes to be addressed. A person who was assigned female at birth but who identifies as non-binary is able to join the WI. This is because they fall within our women only exemption as they were assigned female at birth. As mentioned above, the WI does not ask members to prove their sex when they join the WI.  

13. Pregnancy and maternity 

The WI is focused on supporting women through every stage of their lives. Therefore, our members will include women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or who have recently given birth, and it is important these women are supported. For example, this may mean ensuring women feel able to bring their baby to WI meetings and providing a quiet space where members can breastfeed or express milk where possible. Talking to members about this is the best way to ensure their needs are met. 

14. Race 

Race includes a person’s skin colour, their nationality, ethnic origin and national origin. For example, a White British citizen whose parents are of Polish origin has British nationality but Polish national origins. 

We recognise that unfortunately racism exists in our society, including in the charity sector. We are committed to ensuring members understand what racism is and, if encountered, how to report it. Racism can take many forms such as racist behaviour/language or the creation of rules that result in harmful treatment of people based on their race. As an educational organisation, we are committed to using education to effect long-term meaningful change. 

Unfavourable treatment based on race is discrimination and racism can be a hate crime. Race discrimination does not need to be deliberate; it is possible for someone to discriminate against someone else without realising it or meaning to do so. 

There is no place for racism or prejudice within the WI, and we work continuously to ensure that the WI is a place for women of all races and where members are empowered to challenge racism in their communities. 

15. Religion and religious belief 

The WI is non-sectarian meaning that we are not connected or affiliated with any particular religion or religious belief. We therefore welcome both women who belong to an organised religion or have religious beliefs, and women who do not.   

16. Sexual orientation 

The WI welcomes all members, regardless of their sexual orientation and no WI member should be treated differently because of their sexual orientation.

17. Inclusive language 

The WI is committed to using inclusive language that reflects the ideals of our organisation, keeping abreast of its evolving nature and ensuring our language does not exclude or offend others. This language should make members feel safe and valued by respecting differences and taking steps to make sure everyone is included. 

  • Examples of inclusive language include: 
  • ‘Person with a disability’ rather than ‘disabled person’
  • ‘Person who uses a wheelchair’ rather than ‘wheelchair bound’. 
  • ‘Person experiencing poverty’ rather than ‘poverty-stricken’ or ‘poor person’. 

The WI encourages conversations around inclusive language and is always open to learning. It is important to remember that there is not one single approach to using inclusive language; every member will have different experiences and needs. When describing a person, the person concerned should be asked how they would like to be addressed, and what language/terminology they prefer is used when describing them, for example, in relation to their disability. 

If inappropriate or offensive language is used this should be reported, using the NFWI Complaints Policy or applicable policy, with the aim of improving behaviours and mitigating the risk of inappropriate or offensive language being used again. Please see section 21 for further information on complaints. 

18. Bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation 

As the largest women’s voluntary organisation in the country, we are committed to contributing to societal change by promoting equality and eliminating all forms of discrimination and and harassment. The WI will therefore not accept bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation of any members for any reason, including for any reason based on the protected characteristics, and will take proactive steps to address any such issue that may prevent WI members from living up to the values we espouse.

19. Unconscious bias 

Unconscious bias is where social stereotypes about certain groups of people unconsciously affect decisions, behaviours and thoughts. For example, biases can be about race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation and physical abilities, and these biases can negatively impact the WI membership experience. It is therefore important that all members try to recognise these biases and actively challenge them. 

The WI is an organisation centred on education and we believe opening up conversations, discussing concerns and addressing biases will help reduce unconscious bias and educate members about this issue. By reducing unconscious bias, The WI becomes a more open and welcoming environment where all members are included. 

20. Breaches of this policy 

We take breaches of this policy very seriously and will begin investigations into potential breaches when necessary. Please make any committee member aware of any breaches.  Alternatively, you can contact the NFWI, using their complaints policy.  https://www.thewi.org.uk/contact-us

21. Complaints and concerns 

If you have a complaint and/or a concern about anything covered in this policy, you should contact your WI committee in the first instance.  The complaint will be logged at a committee meeting and hopefully resolved to the agreement of all parties.   You can also follow the NFWI Complaints Policy, which you can read/access here https://www.thewi.org.uk/contact-us

In addition to following the internal processes for making a complaint or raising a concern, you also have the right to talk to the police about a potential criminal offence. 

April 2024 Version, agreed by The Gloucester Road WI Committee