THEY'RE not the grey-haired granny brigade we once thought they were, as the CWA emerges as one of the fiercest advocacy groups in the country, thanks to fresh faces and controversial campaigns.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
MEET the movers and shakers of the CWA – and they’re not afraid to stir the pot.
While they might be more traditionally known for stirring a good cup of tea, these ladies are taking up the fight on some of the country’s most controversial issues.
The Country Women’s Association is now the largest all-female advocacy group in Australia.
They have campaigned for the legalisation of medical cannabis, fought against CSG mining in our backyard, and called for tighter laws around foreign ownership of farm land, water and agribusiness.
Like the well-crafted scone they’ve become so synonymous with, the CWA is tough and gutsy on the outside, but underpinned by their soft, old-fashioned values on the inside.
No one knows this better than Manilla’s Dorris Budden.
The 84-year-old joined the CWA in Emerald Hill 63 years ago.
She has been a stalwart of the Manilla branch for the past 40 years, serving as the president, secretary and treasurer in that time.
“We’re non-party political, but we take on anything that we think is a big issue,” Mrs Budden said.
“I think we’re definitely still relevant.
“We’ve raised a lot of money for hospitals and that type of thing.
“It’s the same role, it’s always played a supporting role.
“Manilla is very active with the CWA.”
The Manilla CWA branch has about 40 members, and celebrated its 90th birthday last month.
But the small town is proving its relevance, with an evening branch established to cater for working professionals.
Mrs Budden pointed to the formation of several city branches as proof the organisation is stronger than ever.
“Wherever I’ve been, I’ve made friends and I’m still friends with them,” she said.
“We have some young ones coming through. They’re able to carry on the work we’re too old to do.”
The region’s CWA branches are among the strongest – and most vocal – in the state.
We need only look to the 95th annual CWA state conference held on the Central Coast last month to realise the power our local women hold.
Hundreds of women from all corners of NSW debated 21 motions over the three-day meeting, including one put forward by the Maules Creek branch to support a ban on unconventional gas exploration, extraction and production.
The group maintains hosting unconventional gas on farms causes properties to be devalued, mortgages refused, insurance covers rejected, communities divided, aquifers drained, and turns land into dead zones.
The motion follows state government documents revealing last June, that Santos has plans for up to four wells in the region.
Delegates at the state conference voted in favour of the motion, formalising the stance into policy.
“The question is, as an association, do we find it acceptable with all the impacts?” a Maules Creek CWA spokeswoman asked.
“Overwhelmingly, the women of NSW said no.
“This is a win for common sense.
“This is country women standing side by side with members of the community.
“Food security is where our future is.”
The Maules Creek branch also put forward a policy for the CWA of NSW to support the continued public ownership and management of Crown Lands for the health and benefit of the environment and people of NSW.
The CWA has never shied away from taking up a fight it strongly believes in – and the growing giant that is online gambling is no exception.
Three motions around online gambling and its advertising were all successfully passed at the state conference.
The CWA of NSW will now adopt a formal policy on the advertising of gambling on television and the regulation of online gambling overall, enabling it to advocate for change as an organisation.
Helping to keep campaigns alive on issues that affect women and their families is the new generation of CWA members.
Among them is Tamworth’s Helen Carter, who joined the Tamworth Evening CWA branch when it formed in 2015.
The branch was established for women interested in pursuing the association’s ideals, outside of business hours, and the brainchild of Amy Burgess, whose grandmother and great-aunties had all been in the CWA.
The branch now has 15 financial members, most of whom are young working professionals.
“I had lots of family involved in CWA and I was really drawn to the work the CWA does around women, children and health, and to still fill the needs in our society,” Ms Carter said.
“There’s a unique combination with the CWA being able to push social advocacy issues, such as managing advertising online gambling, and supporting marriage equality.
“But it’s also about the older traditions at the core of the CWA, like cooking, handicraft and learning new skills.”
At the age of 34, Ms Carter is now the evening branch president, and insists the CWA isn’t just steeped in conservative traditions.
The CWA were trailblazers for medical cannabis, when the group gave medical marijuana its stamp of approval at the annual state conference in Tamworth in May 2015.
The state CWA passed two motions – one supporting the use of the drug, and the other in support of growing, manufacturing and distributing it for medicinal purposes.
“The CWA is the largest women’s lobby group in Australia with more than 10,000 members,” Ms Carter said.
“It’s loud, proud and being more involved in younger cultures, which is exciting.”
When it comes to old meeting the new, “there is a mix of both,” insists Ms Carter.
“There is the legacy of the earlier generations that started the CWA that we see as important, and younger women coming through continue their good will.
“I would definitely encourage more people to get involved.
“It’s about friendship, meeting new people, learning different skills and a really great opportunity to shape where the association heads in the future.”
The CWA was formed in 1922 when country women were fighting isolation and a lack of health facilities. Within the first year, the association was a unified group that has since gone from strength to strength. Members worked tirelessly to set up baby health care centres, fund bush nurses, build and staff maternity wards, hospitals, schools, and rest homes.
They have not stopped fighting for causes close to their hearts.
And with young blood coming through, that legacy is likely to live on.
RELATED STORY: Gunnedah CWA celebrates its 95th birthday