Equal Opportunities for Older Women

The initiative is a self-help initiative aimed at improving equal opportunities for older women through an organisation that pursues objectives which are independent of gender or age.

Förderverein Nachbarschaftlich leben für Frauen im Alter e.V., München

Single women who have stopped working gather information and discuss the perspectives for their old age. Central questions include: How would I like to live in my old age? Are there any alternatives to "the old folks' home or isolation"?

Group work on thematising and planning the project extended from 1986 to the move in 1997.

The work consisted of ten phases:

Phase 1: Collecting sociological data and personal expectations about life in old age from the participating women;
Phase 2: Concretising our own possibilities and searching for their realisation as a group;
Phase 3: Gaining information and conducting discussions with the authorities, building contractors and city politicians;
Phase 4: Carrying on despite frustrations;
Phase 5: Networking with other initiatives in Munich, publicity work;
Phase 6: Working out the description of the model and making a building application;
Phase 7: Practical planning together with architects;
Phase 8: Supervising building work as a group;
Phase 9: Organising the move into the project;
Phase 10: Moving in and information work.

For the participants, success has consisted in their being able to deal with socio-political themes and to extend their communicative competence through supervisory activities, and also in their being able to complete the whole project together, from formulating the initial idea to moving in. Our success can also be measured by the strong interest shown by the media in the project and by the number of visits we have received from interested groups.

Our problems included lack of personal funds to carry out the building project and the necessity of relying on institutions. In the course of our work we suffered two major setbacks and had to struggle against lack of sympathy and understanding for women's issues and women's initiatives.

The women's group accompanied the planning and construction process from beginning to end. This included regular monthly meetings, over a period of three years, with a supervisor. The women participated in negotiations with building contractors and architects.

Since 1997 we have been co-operating with the Munich adult education institute, the Evangelisches Bildungswerk (Evangelical Education Association, the Katholisches Bildungswerk (Catholic Education Association) and the Münchner Projektetag (Munich Projects Conference). Information days, panel discussions and sight-seeing tours are organised and carried out within the project. We maintained information stands at the Seniorenmesse (Mass for Senior Citizens) and at the Evangelischer Kirchentag (Evangelical Church Conference).

We are available for people interested in receiving more information on our initiative by phone.

The total number of hours worked for the initiative is approx. 16 hours per week.

Antje Henckmann: "Aufbruch in ein gemeinsames Altern. - Neue Wohnformen im Alter am Beispiel des Modellprojekts 'Nachbarschaftlich leben für Frauen im Alter'" (Setting off Together for Old Age - New Ways of Living as Exemplified by the 'Neighbourly Living for Elderly Women' Project). Available as a brochure from FRAU IM BERUF (WOMEN IN THE PROFESSIONS) for DM 9.-/4.5 Euro plus postage. Also available in book form, published by Leske und Budrich in 1999.
There are 2 videos (5 and 7 minutes long respectively) made in 1997 and 1999.

Martina Löw: Raum greifen, Kleine Verlag 1994
KAB München: Wohnen im Alter, Arbeitshilfe 1997

In our project the following have proven their worth:
- Building groups on a consensual basis;
- Cultivating trust and mutual interest before the building phase;
- Set-backs can strengthen a group!
-Supervision for the group process at least 6 to 8 months;
- Biographical work in the group;
- The residential project should not be the group's sole raison d'être.