coordinator OWN Europe, Italy

Why is networking in particular the form that is most helpful to older women? At a personal level, women often lack selfassertion and - especially if they have dedicated their lives to the family - tend to undervalue the experience they have gained. A woman’s polyfunctional role in the family -although including many different skills (not only catering and nursing but often accountancy and ‘management skills’) conversely gives her the idea that she cannot really do anything at all - as in the case of an example from Ireland of women who had managed farms for 25 years yet said “that’s all I’ve done, I’ve never travelled.”

Perhaps then the first most important aspect of a network is that older women have a point of reference where they are no longer alone, and they can begin to realise the extent of their knowledge and experience. The very fact of sharing these experiences and defining the problem areas they would like changed goes towards neutralising some of the social exclusion factors they are suffering, and gives them the opportunity to apply their skills in changing their lives.

As the Italian Minister of Social Affairs Livia Turco said a few months ago at the National Conference for the UN Year of Older People, welfare for older people it is not just a fair pension ñ which is very important ñ but also important is the quality of life and of relationships, services to the family, access to the information continuum, a real access to the Information and Communication Technology world.

The network structure itself works too because - although it is a structure - it is by nature organic and all-inclusive, there is no rigidly defined vertical hierarchy which restricts its natural growth and evolution. Women, having been so long excluded from social constructions formed by men, work well in this non-hierarchical situation.

So, with Own, Europe and OWN at national level we have found that the network structure works at a personal level (as a mean of supporting and encouraging older women) and at an organisational level as an instrument for democratic action. Then, in a rapidly changing social and political context we have the flexibility to identify issues, discuss policy initiatives and react to new possibilities much more efficiently than an organisation with complex consultation procedures. Information can then be disseminated to other countries. For example, the most recent publication of OWN (Europe) is a case study called In Our Own Time, in Our Own Way, produced by OWN (Ireland), which includes not only a very useful list of issues to be considered, but also suggestions on how to organise action and how to evaluate it. A summary of the study - in the form of a brochure - has been translated into every European language to help the development of networks in other countries.

The Older Women’s Network, Europe (OWN Erope) was formed as a direct result, and spontaneous wish, of the older women's groups that participated in the three year European Older Women's Project developed to celebrate the European Year of Older People 1993.

We seek to give older women the opportunity to develop their own voice at local level, whether in developing social and cultural programmes to meet their needs, or tackling policy issues relating to pensions, housing, health, continuing education and so on.

We are committed to operating an inclusive and open Network, reflecting our similarities and diversities, working together to influence policy development and change within our local communities as well at European level.

The Network's principal aims 

• To promote the sharing of knowledge, skills and experience of older women across Europe

• To challenge negative stereotypes of age, gender, race, disability and sexuality.

• To affirm the rights and capacity of older women through self-help, social groups and political activity to contribute to policy development at local, national and international levels

• To work across cultures and generations recognising that age is a lifecourse issue.

• To work with the European Union and its institutions to ensure the older women's perspective in the development of and activity in, relevant action programmes.

Scope of activities

1. Policy formulation and lobbying

2. Information exchange

3. Research

4. Education and training

5. Project innovation

We invite women of all ages, together with researchers, policy makers and professionals concerned with older people's issues, to join us.