The CWA was formed in 1922 when country women were fighting isolation and lack of health facilities. Within the first year the Association was a unified, resourceful group working tirelessly to establish baby health centres, fund bush nurses and build resources previously lacking in country areas.

The Country Women’s Association (CWA) of New South Wales (NSW) is the state’s largest rural issues advocacy group with well over 8000 members and close to 400 branches across NSW. There is no other rural, regional, remote member-based organisation that has the breadth and depth of membership on matters affecting country people.

By lobbying the Federal, State and Local Governments on current issues, many changes have been introduced for the betterment of all. These initiatives include but are not all:

• Compulsory seat belts in cars

• Breast prosthesis inclusion in the Medicare Rebate Scheme

• The use of flashing school zone lights

• Compulsory reflective triangle signs for trucks

• Introduction of scholarship scheme to train dentists for country areas

• Mimosa Bush (Yellow Mimosa) listed as feral native species

Current lobbying includes:

• Increased transparency on decision making under the Murray Darling Basin Plan

• Greater protection of privacy of individuals against remotely piloted aircraft (drones)

• Advocate for the enforcement of the Food Safety Standards of Australia and New Zealand for the use of the terms “milk” and “meat or meat products” as outlined

• Advocate for public cancer clinics in regional, rural and remote areas

• Advocate to provide health promotion material and make mailed self-administered vaginal swab kits available to all eligible women over the aged of 25, to improve cervical screening participation in NSW.”

• Avocate to lead national legislative reform to ensure children are protected by law from any form of physical assault, including in the home, as is the case for adults

And many more.