CWA members are famous for cooking and scones. Photo: CWA.
Mention the Country Women’s Association (CWA) and most think of cuddly country women in aprons baking batch after batch of perfect scones to raise funds for the community.
Yes, these women like good coffee and food, but in the 103 years that the CWA has been operating across the state, time has shown just how much this powerhouse group of women has achieved.
After a week in which the CWA has held a bumper annual conference in Wagga, it’s important to reflect on over a century of achievements.
The organisation, which was formed to improve conditions for women in rural areas, held its first conference in 1922. Within 12 months, the concept of a restroom was rolled out at local shows for women to breastfeed and put their feet up.
In 1924, the CWA funded its first ambulance in Nyngan, then its first funded hospital in Hillston. By 1937, the CWA had set up 13 emergency and maternity hospitals without government assistance.
While Australia was fighting in the Second World War, the CWA was operating 120 baby clinics, 136 rest rooms, 60 libraries and eight holiday homes by 1942.
In the 1960s, the CWA campaigned for more women on juries, and in 1966, the compulsory fitting of seat belts in vehicles was introduced, which has saved countless lives.
Pedestrian crossings in front of schools to make it safer for kids? The CWA pushed for that and got it in 1968.
Happiness is the CWA and scones and morning tea. Photo: CWA.
In the 1970s, the CWA called for pharmaceuticals to be labelled with the date of manufacture and expiry date, as well as compulsory child restraints in private vehicles, and a push to ban smoking in public eating houses.
Random breath testing and the 0.05 per cent blood alcohol limit? The CWA lobbied to have this rolled out in 1980.
Itemised phone bills in 1985, compulsory bicycle helmets the following year, seat belts in school buses in 1990, getting children to wear hats at school, 40 km/h speed limits around schools that started in the 90s, a national disability parking system in 1997, speed indicator signs painted on highways and roads in 2005 – CWA members have toiled away for decades to improve the lives of the community.
Yanco CWA branch raised funds to make a public shelter. Picture: CWA.
This week’s annual CWA State Conference has shown that more than 600 women delegates have a record number of motions designed to improve outcomes covering healthcare, environment, agriculture, transport and telecommunications in regional and remote NSW communities.
Two of these motions were deemed urgent: a call on the NSW Government to urgently review the chronically under-resourced Ambulance service to ensure faster response times, and an end to ‘second option’ reliance on the rural fire brigades and Fire and Rescue NSW to pick up the slack, despite crews being undertrained for medical emergencies.
Conference co-organiser Toni Nugent said few realised the enormous impact the CWA had on improving our way of life.
“There’s a lot that the CWA’s done over the years. If you think about the guide posts that we have on the side of our roads, that’s something that the CWA’s been involved in, as well as the white lines on the side of the road,” Toni said.
More than 600 women from across the state gathered in Wagga Wagga this week for The Country Women’s Association of New South Wales’ annual conference.
