The #OlderWomenCount campaign is 7 days of visibility and advocacy leading up to International Women’s Day
The #OlderWomenCount campaign run in partnership with CELEBRATE AGEING highlights the achievements and contributions of older women, raises awareness of the inequalities they experience and promotes strategies for inclusion. We believe that celebrating older women’s contributions is a critical step in creating a culture where #OlderWomenCount and the gender inequalities and ageism they experience is combatted.
Our mission is to ensure #OlderWomenCount in every family, community, institution, policy, celebration and strategy – every day of the year.
The campaign is launched on March 1st each year with an online event calling families, communities and service providers to end ageism and include older women in all areas of life.
2023: Older Women Dancing
Online Launch Speakers
Wednesday March 1st, 4-5pm (AEST)
Janet Bromley: Mum, Nan, Yorta Yorta Artist living on Dja Dja Country, First Nations Art Officer City of Greater Bendigo
Older women make valuable contributions to our society as leaders, CEOs, academics, carers, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, neighbours, colleagues and friends.
Despite this older women are devalued and experience significant disadvantage at the intersections of ageism and sexism. Older women are:
We are proud to announce Elder Rights Advocacy as our partner for the 2023 Campaign.
Elder Rights Advocacy provides information and advocacy for people in Victoria who receive aged care services. Their service is free, confidential and independent of the government and aged care providers and support you to make sure your voice and opinion are heard.
Elder Rights Advocacy is a member of the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), a group of organisations across the country funded by the Australian Government to deliver the National Aged Care Advocacy Program.
Watch Dr Debra Wood spread her message of making older women visible through her gorgeous street art.
Let others know about older women who inspire you
Download the #OlderWomenCounttemplate and add a photo of an older woman you know – tell us her name and contributions (see examples below) – or use your own template.
Share the photo on social media with hashtag #OlderWomenCount.
In 2022, the theme for our inaugural campaign drew on the global theme of Break the Bias; with a call to break the ageism and sexism biases that older women experience.
Artist Suzanne Phoenix worked with graphic designer Wuthipol Ujathammarat to develop our logo. For the past 10 years Suzanne has curated a photographic exhibition exploring what IWD means to a broad range of cis and trans women and gender diverse people (here). Suzanne’s work has been hung in the National Portrait Gallery (here).
Thanks to Plakit for distributing posters across Victoria, NSW and Canberra. We asked community members to help us find the posters and share photographs of them on social media with hashtag #OlderWomenCount.
Project Partners
The #OlderWomenCount project is a partnership between Celebrate Ageing, The Older Women’s Network NSW and photographer Suzanne Phoenix. We are passionate about valuing and respect for older women and passionate about making sure that every Australian knows that #OlderWomenCount.
Dr Catherine Barrett, CEO Celebrate Ageing Ltd
Yumi Lee, CEO Older Women’s Network NSW
Suzanne Phoenix (photo Theresa Harrison)
More Information
This project is a partnership between Celebrate Ageing Ltd and the Older Women’s Network NSW. If you would like more information about this project, please contact:
Ageism in Health Care Health Consumers NSW and the Older Women’s Network NSW have worked together to investigate the prevalence of ageism in health care, and how older people experience the discrimination they face. Read our report.
Love for Lismore The floods in the Northern Rivers of NSW have been devastating. Join us in doing something for the older women in that area by providing Love in a Bag care packs or a donation to express our solidarity with them at this difficult time.
Where's Lyn? In the lead up to 2023 International Women’s Day, we’re calling on everyone to to ask the question, “Where’s Lyn?” because the voices of older women are being ignored in the design of policies, especially the policies which impact them the most.
