Equal Opportunities for Older Women

The occasion for founding the initiative was the "Senior Citizens Days" in Frankfurt under the motto: "Ageing in Frankfurt - Frankfurt in Old Age". In the context of this event, the Frankfurt association invited women to discuss the theme of "Lifestyles in Old Age - Causes for Anxiety and Hope".

The network pursues the following activities, prepared and carried out by different women according to theme, competence and a self-determined time framework:
Sunday brunch with a special theme, regular meetings in restaurants/pubs, reading sessions, New Neighbours Housing Network "Independent and yet linked", joint outings, impulse groups, seminar holidays, wellness days.
When required, new groups are formed.
Women assuming special tasks within the groups meet once a month for a forum where the different activities are coordinated, opinions exchanged, contacts made, where PR work and reporting are done and new groups initiated. The Frankfurt Association makes rooms and staff available for this. The groups work on their tasks in such a way as to cover their costs.

There is great interest in the different events and a large number of woman are willing to get involved. By setting up communication and decision-making structures between one supporting organisation of the so-called Altenhilfe (Help for the Old) and its target group, we have broken new ground in working with old people. A housing project initiated in 1994 will be realised this year. The Sunday brunch for women has been adopted by other organisations. The network is proving important in women's everyday lives. Themes such as mourning, death and fear of becoming helpless are no longer taboo, but are openly discussed.

So far, we have had no problems.

In keeping with the mode of work of the network, women from all the existing groups are represented in the forum and thus invovled diriectly in the planning, coordination etc. In the individual groups, the participating women themselves decide on their programme and its implementation.

We have been working with other women's groups and institutions since 1995. We exchange views with American and European women and work together on joint projects in Frankfurt am Main.

We are available for people interested in receiving more information on our initiative by phone, post or e-mail.

1 salaried employees at the supporting organisation.
65 volunteers/honorary members.
The total number of hours worked for the initiative is approx. 70 hours per week.

Brochures and information material are available from the network's contact address.

The circle of give-and-take (personal advantage and public good) must function. It is necessary to have the financial support of an institution that promotes self-led groups. It must be possible for the women involved to decide how much they wish to work and be able to opt out for a period of time. Decisions must be transparent and comprehensible for all those involved.