CWA of WA members urged go to against ‘humble’ instincts and share success ahead of 100-year celebrations

Country Women’s Association of WA members are being urged put their humble instincts aside and showcase their local and community achievements widely ahead of the group’s 100-year celebrations next year.

Humble and hardworking by nature, CWA of WA members have been toiling away — helping their local communities and worthy causes on the South Pacific region through their Association’s membership of the Associated Country Women of the World.

CWA of WA chief executive Trish Langdon had one message to CWA’s 123 branches — both in Perth and across regional WA — and that was to “get the word out there”.

“The message to branches is they need to think about making sure they get the word out to their local communities that the CWA of WA is celebrating a very special birthday,” she said.

“The CWA is humble by nature, and members feel that showing off is not the CWA way.

“So they don’t have to be flashy, but it is about showing what they stand for and what they do for the community. . . as we should all be very proud.”

The first CWA branch was founded in Nungarin in 1924, with the CWA’s Metropolitan Branch and the Bolgart Branch forming that same year.

Ms Langdon also encouraged members to be more “forceful and forthright” in their advocacy campaigning efforts, five years after the CWA of WA held its first protest in history.

At that time, hundreds of CWA of WA members descended on Parliament House on February 13, 2018 to protest the then-McGowan Government’s $41 million cuts to regional education.

It was a daring move away from tradition for an organisation that previously had avoided picking a political side, but plans to close Moora Residential College, regional school camps and to take money from the trust funds of WA’s five agricultural colleges made them see red.

Ms Langdon said she couldn’t promise whether the CWA of WA would rally again, but a big focus of the State Conference had been about advocacy and communication.

“We want our members to understand that if you want an outcome, there is a different way go to about it than just writing letters,” she said.

“In the past, the CWA has been reluctant to join forces with other groups. . . but we have learned that you get better results when you do.”

Ms Langdon said she believed the selective nature of which causes the CWA of WA supported was one of its “biggest strength” and caused politicians and the wider public to “take notice”.

“We do have to think more about our advocacy, and if rallies are part of it then so be it,” she said.

“But I wouldn’t suggest it for everything because then you lose your impact.”

Policy and advocacy was a hot topic at the CWA of WA’s 99th annual State Conference in Perth on July 18-20, with more than 200 women in attendance.

At least 30 of those that came along did so for the first time, while Ms Langdon said many had returned for the first time since COVID-19 swept the globe in 2020.

CWA of WA events and membership engagement officer co-ordinator Megan DePiazz said she was working with branches annd the State Office to create a plan for promoting and celebrating the centenary.

The CWA’s Archives Committee is also working through dozens of boxes of memorabilia to create displays at local libraries and council buildings, and branches can loan items for their own displays.

The organisation is also printing 2000 copies of a book about 100 remarkable CWA women and has designed a special centenary logo to be used in print and online.

The CWA of WA has nearly 2000 members, with 123 branches operating throughout WA.

Its head office is based in the Perth CBD, with four full-time staff and two part-time staff.