Action Women

Action Women: the real story of the Women's Institutes

• 30 May - 27 August 2006

What do you think of when you hear about the Women's Institutes? Jam making and cake baking, or Fairtrade and Keep Britain Tidy? For over 90 years, the WI have been a positive force in British women's lives, campaigning on many significant issues for rural communities, as well as issues affecting millions of lives across the globe. Membership of a Women's Institute is also about fun, friendship and being part of a network of support, particularly essential in more isolated areas of rural Britain.

In celebration of all the women who have been a part of this dynamic and powerful organisation, The Women's Library, Museum of English Rural Life and Berkshire Federation of Women's Institutes brought together this special exhibition of photographs, rural crafts, oral history accounts, campaign badges, posters, pamphlets and a stunning banner to tell the stories of generations of WI action women. If you think you know about the WI, it's time to think again!

During the exhibition, friendly and enthusiastic guides were on hand to answer questions and tell visitors more about the WI.