The WI movement originated in Canada in 1897, subsequently the British Women's Institute was formed in 1915 in Anglesey, Wales. It had two clear aims: to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War.
The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities. Every individual WI meets at least once a month and there is usually a speaker, demonstration or activity at every meeting. Craft has always played an important role in the WI , and thousands of members are involved in a range of crafts across England and Wales. Jam and Jerusalem The WI is often associated with food, cooking and healthy eating, and this forms an important part of the WI's history. Modern hygiene regulations have made this activity more complicated. The hymn Jerusalem is associated with the fight for women's suffrage and was appropriate for the newly emerging WI movement , but so entwined are the ideals of the hymn and ongoing self-sufficiency that the ideology of the organisation is often summarised as "Jam and Jerusalem". |