The Biscuit Tin is a campaign calling out the ageist/sexist representations of older women in popular culture, because these representations are drivers of the oppression, gender inequalities, family violence and elder abuse that older women experience.
Facilitator kits are available for services/organisations wanting to run this beautiful project. Please get in touch for more information at director@celebrateageing.org
Portraits of older women and their insights into how respect for older women is shown.
Cuc
Biscuit tin I love this biscuit tin. Its colour and design remind me of an old Vietnamese drum. It was an ancient bronze drum created by the Dong Song culture. It was produced about 600BCE. I find it a beautiful example of ancient metalworking.
Respect For me as an older woman, respect means being kind and thoughtful. It means being understanding and considerate of others.
Younger Generations I am very happy to be around younger generations. We can all learn from each other.
International Women’s Day International Women’s day for me means celebrations of women’s achievements. It’s about raising awareness of discrimination and fighting for equal rights for women. We still have lots to fight for. This day has been around for a very long time. The funny thing is, I only heard about it since joining OWN’s Theatre Group 4 years ago. Our group, and our network, always made sure I was aware of International Women’s Day annually. Now I am more actively participating.
Alice
Biscuit tin My father was Dutch and my mother of Czech origin, and he used to contact our families and we would send each other biscuit tins. This special tin in my hand was produced in the Netherlands. I now give this biscuit tin to my cousin, and they make a dozen delicious Czech biscuits for the tin – there was a beautiful selection of them.
Recipe I won’t stand behind the counter in an apron. I still have my life to live.
Respect I believe my view of respect is layered because I have more experiences to draw on. To me, it means acknowledging that you’re there. I feel people treat me with more authority as an older woman, but at the same time it’s not automatic as you have to treat people with respect, to be respected.
When I was younger, I didn’t expect people to respect me, but through the continuity of life now it’s an expectation that I have a view, and I am valid. I feel entitled to command respect.
Younger Generations Younger women are far more assertive today, than they used to be. It’s a result of so many things, including education processes, and their entrepreneurial careers.
I was having a conversation with a younger family member recently, where a tradesman was ignoring her and only speaking to the husband. And she told me “this tradesman might think my partner is the head of the household, but I am the neck”. I believe most women are like that today, strong and assertive.
International Women’s Day It’s one of the most important days of the year to talk about how far women have come. I find it very symbolic; there’s something about knowing everyone is doing it everywhere. I believe this day has become more important and publicised over time. I always have a great breakfast with my friends and family, and there are always other women to enjoy this breakfast with.
Menaka
Biscuit tin I am a collector of biscuit tins. My daughter has inherited all my biscuit tins. I have cylinder wafer tins, and biscuit tins from the markets. My collection is endless.
Recipe My favourite recipes include wholemeal muffins and muesli cookies.
Respect I want to be acknowledged as a human, where I am visible and seen. I want society to respect me. Respect means that people believe I am an intelligent woman with a lot to offer. It means having my opinions and views taken into account.
I’ve experienced lateral violence and intersecting discriminations of ageism, sexism and racism. In the community, I try to talk to people and they are disrespectful. They either ignore me, or they ask extremely intrusive questions about my ethnicity and where I am from. I am from my mother’s womb.
Younger generations I want this to be a better world for my grandchildren. But I am deeply distressed about the far-right movement. It’s happening in the USA and Europe – will it come to Australia?
As an older woman of colour, I don’t want to get thrown by the wayside. We need diversity, equity, and inclusion. We cannot turn our backs on 50 years of sisterhood and feminism. In my social justice roles, it gives me so much hope supporting culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and their experiences in Australia.
International Women’s Day I don’t want International Women’s Day to be empty talks of power and greatness, when there are still subtle forms of microaggressions and discrimination. There is so much unconscious bias, people judge me all the time. I want these to be addressed and opened in conversations on the street.
On this day, we do talk about empowering women, but we need to see more progress. The far-right movement is going to take-over and set us back. This year I am a bit weary and scared, but I do want to celebrate what other women have done together.
Linda
Biscuit tin I use my biscuit tin as vintage storage for tea. I rarely do catering or baking, as now that my time is my own I would rather do other things I enjoy – like writing, reading or painting.
Recipe I make stuff up as I go along with whatever is in the larder. I cook peasant food. Italian, French and Asian cuisines. Nothing fancy. It just has to be flavoursome. I do make batches of energy biscuits to save time when hungry.
Respect I believe respect should be mutual. This includes humans, animals and the environment. Setting an example is a good start. I also set what I call ‘loving boundaries’. That way we raise our expectations of each other. You can never have too much love. I used to be a magpie whisperer.
Younger Generations I have often worked with colleagues much younger. It was a collaboration. I like the idea that we can learn from each other and be each other’s mentors. Being agents of change for each other, always with an open heart.
International Women’s Day I have been a feminist before I had the words for it. I read the Female Eunuch in 1970. I got the local council library to create a Women’s Shelf. Being in the company of good women raises the spirits, is restorative and nourishing. It makes us stronger. Fighting for women’s rights and safety feeds my activism.
Sharon
Biscuit tin This biscuit tin represents leadership and strength. It was gifted to me last year by our CEO Yumi Lee. It epitomizes her dedication of support and advocacy to older women.
Recipe I love cooking gluten free banana bread for myself, friends and family. It has maple syrup and almonds in it – it’s very healthy and delicious.
Respect Respect means treating people the way you would like to be treated. People talk about you being invisible as you get older. I don’t feel invisible, but in society I do get treated as if I’m invisible sometimes. It makes me feel sad that society as a whole doesn’t have respect for older people, especially older women.
Younger generations I think younger women are amazing today, but I do feel sorry with the way the world has changed. I feel social media has a lot to answer for in terms of setting them up for impossible standards – there are all these cultural and societal expectations.
Alongside the cost of living crisis, and rent crisis, it pushes many pressures onto younger people. The rise of the far right movement is also concerning. The fact that there’s even ongoing discussions about abortion rights, as if women don’t have agency over their bodies, is unbelievable.
International Women’s Day I feel it’s very important to raise attention and awareness for women’s rights. In the earlier days, I was more engaged in the concept of IWD and offered coaching scholarships for a couple of years to women to develop leadership skills. I also ran an event for IWD with the aim to empower women’s rights, choices and voices.
Although I feel over time, the day has become more about lip service than real change. I would like to see more structural and social changes. For instance, while the gender pay gap has narrowed, it still has a long way to go. If this continues on the same path, the gender pay gap will still be on-going for many years to come.
Beverly
Biscuit tin A three layer tin for cakes, biscuits and pastries, passed to me by my mother so it’s very special. It was most likely a wedding gift. It sat on my kitchen bench forever, but baked goods were never stored in it as they were always cooked for a purpose, to share straight away with others.
Recipe My recipe is bread and butter muffins, baked once a year for my swimming group. I adapted it from bread and butter pudding. Nothing like one of these muffins after a bracing swim!
I also made a feather light fluff sponge, a recipe I learned from my mother when I was 8 and had to beat the egg whites by hand! I still make it for people who remember my mother.
Respect
For me respect should not be constantly demanded. You don’t see men demanding respect. But women, no matter their background or experiences, seem to have to demand respect. Gendered demeaning insults like ‘he’s such an old woman’, ‘put on your big girl’s blouse’ show this lack of respect.
Younger Generations
I swim with some amazing young women. But I have to mention the elephant in the room … as a young woman, so many doors were closed to us. Now they are open because women like me kicked the doors in. I worry about doors being closed again and the terrible ramifications of women being devalued.
International Women’s Day
IWD should be a day to celebrate women’s achievements but it is still a protest, because even after 70 years we are not there yet, and 70 years is a hell of a long time to fight.
We want to support the current generation, working and bringing up children. But some are deciding it’s just too hard.
Lucy
Recipe My biscuit recipe is oatmeal and raisin, I have been making these since I was six years old.
Respect Respect for me is about being heard and appreciated for the wisdom you have acquired.
Younger generations My father taught me that as you age, make younger friends to keep you in touch with what’s happening, and to maintain those friendships as those women of your age pass away.
International Women’s Day For me it’s all about celebrating feminism. With my older friends, we always do something together – a march, a play – it’s a day for celebration.
Tiang
Biscuit tin It’s a little unusual, it’s a tin for vegetarian yam cookies.
Recipe I used to do a lot of baking but these days I cook healthier and cater for my gluten free grand daughter. I make steamed rice cakes for her.
Respect As an older woman you go to places where you feel invisible. You should never be seen as superfluous, or useless. We have so much to contribute, we can be wise, perhaps not always, and we can be fun. Accept me for who I am – my quirkiness, my failings – it’s all part of me.
Younger Generations Instead of paying attention to your screens, connect with your grandparents. A five minute phone call, ask about their lives, their childhoods. Life is so different today, there is so much to learn from our stories. I ask younger people to think about being tolerant, don’t be egocentric, think about others.
International Women’s Day Coming from a Chinese background, the Chinese grandmother was in a position of power and an arbiter of fairness due to her wisdom. I remember our grandmother saying: father is heaven, mother is earth. We are earthy and we care. We should celebrate what women have to offer. We should have to make demands, it should be evident. The day must come when we don’t have to demand. In short, I have worth, I count, I am important, I contribute.
Online seminar: “Cougars, Grannies and Old Bags”
Please watch our recent seminar with Journalist, Author and Feminist Jane Gilmore.
Reconciliation statement As an organisation committed to equity, dignity, and the visibility of all older women, we stand in solidarity with First Nations women in their calls for voice, recognition, and justice.
10 Questions to ask when looking for suitable care The '10 Questions' series of leaflets are written by nurses, doctors and experts with experience in aged care. The 10 Questions series will assist you to ask the right questions when looking for suitable care.
First nations OWN NSW wants to harness the power of our strong and large community to support our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders by walking together with them in the spirit of true reconciliation.
