Equal Opportunities for Older Women
About the initiative Content and framework conditions Organisational background Back
Panthères grises France (French Grey Panthers)
Communicational details
Address:
3, Rue Georges Citerne
75015 Paris
France
Contact persons and their known foreign languages:
Mme Renate Gossard, First Chairwoman and Founder, German, English
Telephone: + 33 (0)1 40 58 17 15 ; portable : 06 67 96 56 72
Telefax: + 33 (0)3 26 84 79 69
E-Mail: renategossard@wanadoo.fr
Internet: en élaboration: www.seniorplanet.fr
About the initiative
Status of the initiative: The initiative is independent and has the following legal form: registered association.
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Content and framework conditions of the project work
The initiative was founded in: 1988
The initiative was founded because of the following reasons:

The French Grey Panthers were founded as a result of contacts and friendships with Maggy Kuhn, founder of the Grey Panthers in the USA. The main motives for our founding the Panthers here were (1) to defend the interests of older/old women in France and (2) to prevent problems associated with old age, such as falls, undernourishment, loneliness, problems associated with environment, family relationships.
Target group(s): - Women over 50,
- elderly women who need care and nursing.
Targets: Our main concern is the struggle for a dignified old age for every woman. We aim to increase the number of our initiatives and thus increase our impact - despite our limited resources. Enabling people to grow old in dignity is everybody's responsibility. Our field of action is large, our militant commitment immense. If we strive together, we will succeed together!

Specifically we must
-participate in conferences, forums, workshops, and national and international meetings which have anything to do with women and (growing into) old age;
- Raise public awareness of the need to prevent suffering in old age;
-defend the interests of older/old women in society (mistreatment) and in politics (representing retired women on the political stage);
-Encourage older women to become militant.
Details of the work done by the initiative:

We started out by considering a range of topics such as
- The necessity of preparing for old age;
- The importance of making provisions for extreme old age;
- the great importance of family relationships: the 50-year-old woman is the pillar of the family;
- Recognition of her status;
- Older/old women in Europe;
-Improving people's knowledge about "old folks" in Europe;
- Raising politicians' consciousness about old people in general and older/old women in particular;
- Also raising politicians' consciousness about the unequal distribution of pensions, in particular their unequal distribution between the sexes;
- Representing older/old people before decision-making authorities.
Areas of work of the initiative:
Care
Material aid
Political participation
Social contacts
Education
Health
Age - need for nursing/care
Old age - the status of older/old women
Retirement
Family
Europe
Success that the initiative has achieved:

20 TV programs - 30 press articles - numerous conferences - numerous long-term and short-term initiatives of all kinds - meetings with politicians.
Problems that the initiative has been faced during its work:

Chiefly financing our actions; we are not very good at obtaining funds. We have always achieved a great deal with limited means - but with an enormous amount of voluntary help! France is a difficult country as far as militancy is concerned. If membership brings advantages such as price reductions or free trips, then people join in! But when it comes to the "big issues" they hold back. And they don't like to share!!! Here, in these areas help is urgently needed!
Participation of the target group concerning the conception, planning and implementation of the initiative's work:

Volunteer help and active participation in our various activities.
Co-operation:

Our partners:
Grey Panthers USA, since our foundation
UFR - Union Française des Retraités (French Union of Retired People), since 1990,
CNRPA - Comité National des Retraités et Personnes Âgées (National Committee of Retired People and the Elderly).
Information:

We are available for people interested in receiving more information on our initiative by phone, post or e-mail.
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Organisational background of the initiative
Staff:

10 volunteers/honorary members.
Budget:

Our budget is minute.
Sources of funding:
Local government funds (in F department)
Revenue from the project work
Members dues
Donations and funds from sponsors
Private funds - provision of rooms for a limited period free of charge (for certain events)
Publications or information material available on our initiative:

We have numerous publications, for we work together with many magazines.
Recommended literature:

Philippe Pitaud: "La vieillesse au féminin" (The Age of Women);
Philippe Pitaud: "La retraite au féminin"(The Retirement of Women)
Jacques Huguerin: "L'explosion des vieux" (Explosion of the Older Folks).
Tips and suggestions for people interested in foundig a similar initiative:

To be the itching powder of old age and to work our way into the wrinkles of the system. The courage to grow old! Yeah!
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2001-04-25