OlderWomen

What older women want

What Older Women Want is a campaign to communicate to older women their right to be free from sexual assault and to provide them with information about support services. The Campaign recognises that most older victims of sexual assault are women and many older women do not report sexual assault because they are not given information about their right to do so. It also recognises that older women who report sexual assault may be discredited or not believed.

The campaign is led by the Older Women's Network NSW and is part of #ReadyToListen, a project lead by OPAN and Celebrate Ageing and supported by the Department of Health, Australia to educate service providers on improved responses to and prevention of the sexual assault of older people.

Key messages about what older women want

A workshop will be hosted by the Older Women's Network NSW with their members, to document the information that older women want about their rights to be free from sexual violence and about the services available to them. The principles identified at the workshop will be incorporated into education for service providers.

Portraits

A series of portraits of older women will form the basis of a social media and poster campaign reaching out to older women. The portraits will profile older women expressing their solidarity for their peers who experience sexual assault - and will promote visibility of older women and this issue.

Posters

A series of social media and hard copy posters will be developed from the portraits of older women and will include information for older women about their rights and the support services available to them. The posters will be available here for downloading.

Film

The Older Women's Network NSW will produce a film (shot on smart phone) with key messages from older women and community leaders about the sexual assault of older women. The film will raise awareness of the rights of older people, the problem of sexual assault and services available to support older women who have experienced sexual assault.

Project Partners

What Older Women Want is a campaign led by the Older Women's Network NSW as part of a project called #ReadyToListen, which focuses on the education of aged and health care services to ready them for responding to reports of sexual assault. To contact us: