Communications such as radio, television, and the internet are available in most communities. Many women work outside the home: rare is the mother who is able to stay home while her children are small. There are courses and books on every conceivable subject, so that a woman can find out anything she wants to know.
Organizations for women abound, many of them highly specialized and exclusive. Where does this leave Women's Institute? How can we stay afloat with so much competition for women's time?
Agriculture is becoming global rather than local; factories are closing; the very nature of work, and where to find it, is being transformed. These events have forced many in the rural community off the family farm and caused the jobs in town disappear.
Families are leaving the provinces where they were born and having to seek employment in places strange to them. For the wives and mothers in these families, membership in the WI can help to make the transition easier. It offers them a base, an anchor in their new lives. When they join, they can meet their neighbours, make a host of new friends, and find out what resources their new community has to offer.
Newcomers can be inspired to get more involved in their community and find out what's going on and what the needs are. They can learn about local history from the members who were born in the area.
The Women's Institute is like a sisterhood, providing the sisters, aunts and cousins that many of us lack. From among the members of our local branches, we can form lasting friendships that can support, comfort and encourage us for the rest of our lives.
Many women are living longer and can expect to face being alone, since their life expectancy exceeds that of their husbands. Their children have relocated to the city and many have left for jobs far away. Membership in the WI can help fill those gaps.
Although a number of laws have been changed to better reflect the needs of women, there's still much to be done. The voice of the organization can play a large part in hanging on to these changes and putting pressure on the governments for further changes, benefiting women and their families.
We need to work harder on our resolutions and put them forward in a more timely fashion. We need to be more visible in our communities. The R.O.S.E. program is an excellent step in that direction.
My vision for the future? We need to consider changing our perspective. With all the demands being made on them, younger women haven't time to get involved in an organization like ours; however, many women, in their mid fifties and older, are retiring from the cities in large numbers and relocating to the small towns and the countryside.
So let's concentrate on the older woman. She has the time; the experiences to share; the need for friends and companionship; the wish to contribute to her community; the desire to make life better for succeeding generations.
The collected voice of Women's Institute members can make a difference. We aren't ready to quit yet!