Women's Institute

By Rachel Dash

The theme of this year's Women's Institute focused on meaning in our lives, including the effects of the trauma of September 11th and its aftermath on us in terms of our connection to ourselves and others, our beliefs, and our view of our work. We also looked at the effects of September 11th and its aftermath on our ideas, experiences and practices around power and privilege in AFTA, our community, the country, and globally. The meaning we find in the Women's Institute was also woven into our conversation as we looked at its past and future.

We began with a brief history of the Women's Institute and the feminist movement in AFTA. After interviewing some of the women who have been central to this history, I wove together their stories of courage, pain, solidarity and success and presented them very briefly to the group. Included in our history was the growing awareness of power, privilege and marginalization within the Women's Institute. I omitted in my telling the crucial role women of color played several years ago in bringing the issue of race and how we approach it to the forefront of our conversations and therefore in opening our process to other issues of power and privilege as well. Sadly, the burden of teaching white people the reality of and effects of racism was once again theirs. These women made it clear that this was extremely painful and their wish was for white women to educate themselves and explore their own privilege and its effects on women and men of color. There was much pain at that time as we began to face this challenge and the hurt many women of color experienced within AFTA, the Women's Institute and in their lives. These conversations had a profound effect on many of us, moving us to join in conversations with white AFTA members as well as white colleagues and friends outside of AFTA in efforts to become accountable for our own place in a racist society and for taking responsibility for change. These conversations about race also opened the door to conversations at the Women's Institute about the issues of class, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, and hierarchy within the Women's Institute, AFTA and in our culture. These conversations were central to several of our meetings and have been in our consciousness ever since. I very much regret omitting this crucial piece of our history and present and recognize that there is so much work still to be done.

To ready ourselves for our small group conversations, Jodie Kliman led us in a Chi Gong exercise. The purpose of this particular series of movements was to massage the heart, moving Chi (life energy) from the center of the body out along the arms through the fingertips and into the environment. The effects are meant to be a state of calm, better breathing and a feeling of unity. By looking around as we took our seats again, I would say that many of us experienced these benefits.

We then broke into our small groups with a printed list of questions focusing on themes around meaning in our lives and work after September 11th and its aftermath, as well as the meaning we find in the Women's Institute, as discussed in the beginning of this report. As always, everyone was encouraged to pick the questions that most resonated with them and, if there were topics not listed but that better suited their needs, to toss the printed topics and have a conversation that would feel most meaningful. Of course, we give this permission because this kind of connecting is something we deeply value and because experience has shown us that this is what women in the Women's Institute do anyway.

We then came back together as a large group and shared the fruits of our small group conversations. The conversations were experienced as rich and were all very different. People mentioned that, in some of the groups, all phases of the life cycle were represented and that this made their conversations even richer. People mentioned that this past year they became more aware of the fragility of life. Some focused on women's experience as mothers and grandmothers, and the need many feel to have more connection to children since Sept. 11th, also seeing their mothering in terms of a connection and responsibility to the world. Many spoke of their compassion for the victims of September 11th, and the women from NY spoke of the effects of experiencing the trauma in such a close way. Women also reviewed their own memories of hiding under their school desks to practice in case of nuclear war, the Cuban Missile Crisis etc. Others spoke with great sadness of President Bush's and other American leaders' responses to September 11th as a missed opportunity to harness the yearning and movement toward connection, justice and peace building rather than to justify vilification, division, violence and the exercise of might. Some were frustrated and angry at what they perceived to be personal and national denial about the suffering, oppression and violence experienced by children and adults globally and in the streets and hollows of the United States. People spoke of the refugees living in the United States and elsewhere who have lived in terror their entire lives. There was conversation about racism and the conflicts some African Americans have about the wave of red, white and blue patriotism that has swept the country. The stance that the United States took in walking out of the Racism conference in South Africa was only one incident highlighted. Some women spoke of being silenced; feeling that it was too dangerous to speak some of these thoughts in the current environment.

People also focused on what they found meaningful about the Women's Institute, what was troubling and what they hoped for its future. Many women expressed the feeling that the Women's Institute has provided a sanctuary of connection and safety in an organization in which they have sometimes felt invisible, isolated or lonely. People talked about stimulating conversation, getting to know other women they may not have come in contact with and having a few people they then recognized and connected with throughout the conference. People expressed that it was incredibly valuable to meet in small groups so that they could speak more openly and intimately and then get together to reconnect with the larger group. Some women spoke of how important it was to them to be able to focus with other women on issues of oppression and social justice. Some women of color spoke of their feelings that the Women's Institute is welcoming and some spoke of their feelings that it was not. The idea of reaching out more to women of color was suggested.

The Women's Institute has had many different lives. Some meetings, particularly in the beginning, have focused on study and activism around gender issues and areas crucial to women, as well as confronting the effects of patriarchy. We have had institutes of play and connection in beautiful places with walks in nature, sharing stories and song. We have had meetings that have involved presentations and group discussion around selected topics. We have had meetings where we met in small groups to discuss our lives as women, developing common themes around our "heroes," families, dreams and work lives. We have also looked at our lives in the context of culture and the different places we stand at different times around power and privilege. And we have focused on healing. The overall enthusiastic consensus was that the participants want the Women's Institute to continue. There was great appreciation for the nurturing and connection that happens there. Some women mentioned that this was not enough, that they want the institute to also return to its activist roots. They want the women of AFTA, through the Women's Institute, to take stands for social justice. Some feel we should continue to keep central the themes of power and privilege amongst us. Some want to focus on fun and nurture amidst the stress of our lives. It seemed that everyone recognized the importance of accountability, social justice, and respectful connection. It became clear that we need to keep the conversation going around what feels important. To quote from Claudia Bepko's report on the Women's Institute of 1996,"Where are we and how have we evolved? Do we need to struggle more or struggle at all? It's not as if a lovely evening on Angel Island wipes away our pain or lessens the effects of our own heterosexism, racism, or makes us forget that we have serious matters of oppression to deal with in our organization and in our world. But can we deal with conflict and distance anyway unless we have the context of deeper relatedness that an experience like Angel Island affords?" These are questions that we are obviously still struggling with.

The Institute ended with a closing ritual led by Linda Lockspeiser. We formed a circle and lit candles on a table in the center of the room. The lighting symbolized our intensions to bring light into the world through our personal actions. Women spoke spontaneously in a few words about their intentions as the candles burned. There was an atmosphere of caring and renewal as we left this space and moved toward the rest of the day.

Fifty-six women signed up for this year's Women's Institute. Considering the attendance for the general conference, this is a major demonstration of the importance woman place on the opportunity to join with each other during the annual meeting. This year we met for two hours during lunch. Most people expressed the view that the time was too short yet also that it was good to have their evenings free in NY. The annual meeting is packed, and it will continue to be a challenge to find a time that works for us all.

I want to thank the committee for their energy, creativity and time in planning this year's program as well as those of you who were there to witnesses and support. Thank you Bessie Sulton-Akameah, Rosalind Edelstein, Jackie Hudak, Laura Roberto-Forman, Linda Lockspeiser, Jodie Kliman; Monica McGoldrick; Pat Romney and Barbara Ortiz.

Rachel Dash is an assistant professor and director of family therapy training at West Virginia University's Medical School in the Dept. of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry. She is involved in community collaboration around domestic violence, GLBT youth, and issues of racism and poverty in rural West Virginia. She has a special interest in joining with others as well as facilitating respectful conversations around divisive issues.