More than 200 delegates gathered at the Commonwealth Club, in London, to consider the disproportionate impact of global poverty and climate change on women in developing countries at the WRW closing conference. 

WRW, a unique partnership with Oxfam GB and The Everyone Foundation, allowed the NFWI’s work spearheading the rights of women in the UK to be translated into an international context, taking an educational approach to empower people to take action in support of global development and reinvigorating the WI’s international agenda.

Delegates were addressed by Department for International Development Minister, Stephen O’Brien MP, who took to the platform to reflect on progress since the September 2010 MDG summit in New York and reaffirm the coalition Government’s promises on maternal health. Mr O’Brien was presented with an 8,000 strong petition from members and Oxfam campaigners urging the Government to meet maternal health commitments.

The WI has focussed on why the promotion of gender equality worldwide is of vital importance to achieving sustainable development and the conference gave delegates an opportunity to hear from a wide range of speakers on why empowering women is critical to accelerating progress towards reaching the MDGs. 

Oxfam GB Chief Executive, Barbara Stocking, offered a personal perspective on the centrality of gender equality to the goals, echoing the members who took part in the three year project , who also offered their own take on lessons on engaging and connecting UK communities on this issue. 

1/3]Members in Cumbria celebrated their great Grandmothers' initiative of 1911, and showed that ‘Stronger Women Build Bridges of Peace,’ in support of women in war-torn countries

1. Download the Women Reaching Women workbook. Read it, and tell someone else about it.

2. Hold a film night and show Oxfam's Sisters on the Planet DVD to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change on poor women internationally (this can be ordered through Oxfam's website).

3. Join the WI Climate Change campaign if you are passionate about the issues affecting women and climate change.

4. Support the WI & Oxfam's Mums Matter campaign if you want to put an end to 1,000 mothers dying needlessly every day from preganancy and child birth.

A workbook was produced to act as an educational resource for the project. In it you will find information about gender and development issues in more depth including: inequality, health, education, aid/debt/trade, violence, participation and climate change.

This project was part-funded by the Department for International Development.

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