Locals to mark rural women milestone with eyes on future

As Rural Women New Zealand marks 100 years, Mid Canterbury is celebrating not just its legacy but what comes next.

Frances Beeston, a Winchmore local and Canterbury regional leader who joined the RWNZ national board last year, said the centennial celebrations, which began this month, were a chance to honour the deep roots the organisation has laid across the region and to grow new ones.

Celebrations will continue throughout the year, with each branch marking the milestone in its own unique way. “Canterbury will be celebrating at a grassroots level to reflect the strength of our local branches and the vital contribution of our heritage members,” Beeston said.

As part of that, Mid Canterbury will host a regional centennial conference in Ashburton on July 24, followed by a centennial garden party on November 7. Both events aim to honour the legacy of the women who came before, and invite a new generation in. “Younger women often think they need to wait until later in life to join, but now is the time,” Beeston said.

RWNZ, originally formed to support rural women and families, has grown into a nationwide organisation offering leadership opportunities, community projects, and national advocacy. “Whether you’re passionate about wellbeing, rural resilience, environment, rural health care, or education, there’s a place for you to get stuck in and make a difference.”

Beeston said her rural women organisation colleagues were a welcoming bunch”, and you didn’t have to be a farmer, or even live rurally to join. “It’s for those who are rural at heart, meaning they could be a farmer or work in the rural service sector or were raised on a farm or went and visited a friends farm as a child, or maybe you just love animals and rural New Zealand, and you want to be a part of it.”

Beeston herself joined after aging out of the Hinds Young Farmers Club and found a natural fit in the Winchmore branch, which is known for its active spirit and younger membership. “After Young Farmers, I missed having a network that ‘got’ rural life, and RWNZ gave that back to me.”

Now she hopes the centennial celebrations will help other women across Mid Canterbury and beyond discover the same connection. “It’s about having a voice,’’ she said. “Whether that’s through local initiatives or national advocacy, RWNZ gives rural women the opportunity to make a real difference. Not just in their own communities, but across New Zealand.”

by Claire Inkson