OLDER WOMEN’s NETWORK AUSTRALIA Inc.

PATRON
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

OLDER WOMEN MAKE WISE LEADERS

EVALUATION REPORT

A project funded by:

2007-08 Women's Leadership and Development

Programme Grants
Office for Women
Department of Families, Housing, Community
Services and Indigenous Affairs
TITLE: Older Women Make Wise Leaders.

Project Evaluation Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This evaluation report aims to offer a broader and more in depth understanding of barriers faced by older
women to take on a leadership role within the community, increase civil participation and provide input
into government and/or services’ policy. It also provides an insight into how to overcome those barriers
and increase older women’s participation in Government and agencies’ consultative forums. The report
throws light on how to assist older women to become leaders in their communities.

This evaluation was taken in five groups of Older Women’s Network NSW (OWN NSW), participants of
the Older Women Make Wise Leaders project. The project was piloted through four metropolitan and
one regional Sydney areas in NSW, utilising current OWN NSW groups as a platform to reach older
women. It is now the commitment and views of OWN Australia to further extend the benefits of this
project by sharing acquired knowledge, information and resources with OWN groups in other States and
Territories of Australia, most specifically in Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and ACT.

The main findings of this evaluation are:

Older women experience issues preventing them from taking an active role in the community.
Those issues were identified as isolation, poor self-esteem, lack of confidence and non-
identification with traditional older women’s image held by society.

Activities that promote social inclusion, physical and mental wellbeing and stimulate discussion
ran in a friendly, inclusive, older women-only environment as those provided by Wellness
Centres, are effective in assisting women in overcoming issues preventing them from leadership
taking.

Activities ran through Wellness Centres facilitate empowerment of older women and valued
elders, assisting in their formation as leaders with knowledge and skills that benefit the
community

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 Older women greatly benefit from accessible education when training programs are tailored to
their needs and planned with their input.

Activities and training tailored to the needs of older women resulted in more competent citizen,
involved in advocacy and social action by skilled community activists

Older women are committed to take on leadership roles within the community, when preventing
issues are addressed and appropriate training offered

Older women groups are able to build capacity by provided mentoring to peers

The key recommendations arising from this report are:

Funding programs that support a positive ageing approach and provide guidelines towards
initiatives that promote a holistic approach to health maintenance, inclusive of mental, physical
and emotional health strategies are essential in funding agendas.

Ongoing funding to offer activities in centres ran by older women for older women can be
extremely effective in assisting older women increase social and civil participation, feel inclusion,
and in facilitating their validation and empowerment.

Facilitation and access to education designed to up-skill older women by channeling their life
skills and experiences to leadership talents should be made available to all older women wishing
to be active members of the community.

Activities and training programs towards building Leadership of older women should be
considered in funding guidelines for civic programs. Older women leaders are effective
advocates that provide valuable input into Government policy and services development,
accurately and successfully transferring the views of their constituency.

Activities and educational programs towards building older women’s leadership should be

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 considered in funding programs that seek empowerment and self-sufficiency of community
groups, as it is a sustainable program with long-term outcomes facilitating mentoring of older
women by older women, building capacity.

INTRODUCTION

In May 2008 the Older Women’s Network Australia Inc (referred here as OWN AUSTRALIA / OWN)
obtained funding from the Office for Women (FACHSIA) to conduct a leadership building project in
NSW. The Older Women’s Network groups across NSW were experiencing a shortage of
community leaders to continue the work of a rapidly expanding organisation. Many of their active
leaders were founders of OWN and due to retire from active participation after 25 years on intense
work. New members were reluctant to take on those roles due to a number of reasons, particularly
feeling daunted at the prospect of replacing highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced leaders.

The project was addressing an existing need. OWN had identified the need for building leadership
among its members through research and consultation with older women. The organisation was
aware of the positive impact older women leaders have on the community. A thesis study conducted
on Older Women’s Network by P. Reynolds established that the Older Women's Network had
become a voice for older women in shaping government policy: ‘An ethnographic study was
selected, using methods of observer-participation and a focus group, in order to identify the benefits
of membership of the Older Women's Network. It was anticipated that this might assist health
professionals and others in developing policy and programs that effectively improve the health and
wellbeing of older women. Two major concepts, namely 'autonomy' and 'legitimization' emerged
from a five-step process of data analysis which reflected the complexities of ways in which older
women strive to legitimize their role in society as fully participating individuals, in control of their own
destinies’1.

OWN had been working towards a validation of older women in society since its inception as a
network. One of the main barriers OWN faced in reaching Government and non-Government
agencies and policy makers was the lack of older women ready to take on a leadership role. Older
women's input into Government and non-Government policy and services continued to be limited.

1
Reynolds, P. For older women by older women. Autonomy and legitimization of older women through social action.
An ethnographic study of the Older Women's Network. University of Sydney (USyd), Faculty of Medicine. Ageing
Research Online.

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Globally, women are a small minority of all political representatives 2. Older women encounter a
number of barriers to fully participate in advocacy groups and community consultations. Many
women find current public forums intimidating and feel overwhelmed to take on leadership roles.
Older women sometimes believe they lack the skills or knowledge to become peer's
representatives. 'They often do not realise that, through their life experiences at home and at work,
they are highly skilled leaders, advocates, negotiators and networkers'3.

The main issues identified by OWN in this lack of women’s active participation in the community
were poor self-esteem, isolation, lack of advocacy skills and lack of understanding of the community
and Government systems. OWN was struggling to fill in all the positions the organisation holds in a
number of committees and advisory bodies due to current leaders needing to retire and no
upcoming older women suitable for the roles.

The Older Women Make Wise Leaders project aimed to recruit more members to OWN NSW
groups, to train older women in community leadership and prepare them to take on leadership roles
within the organisation. The project identified first the issues faced by older women preventing them
from participating in an active leadership role and it sought to overcome those barriers through
tailored strategies. At a second stage, the project delivered training developed to the needs of these
older women to skill or up-skill them, and to assist their insertion into community leadership. Finally,
the project aimed to assist women to settle in leadership roles within their community by providing
support and guidance as required.

PROJECT CONTEXT

OWN AUSTRALIA is a community based self-help organisation that promotes the rights, dignity and
well-being of older women. OWN AUSTRALIA’s objectives include:

assisting older women to develop specific skills in research, advocacy, lobbying,

networking and technology;

2
Krook, M. (2007, Aug) Gender and Political Institutions: Implementing Quotas for Women in Politics. Paper
presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association. Online Retrieved 2008-06-10 from
www.allacademic.com/meta/p210579_index.html
3
Leadership and Older Women. A summary of the Creating Supportive Neighbourhoods and Communities for Older
Women project, 2001. Retrieved from Community Builders NSW,
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/builder/leaders/older_w.html

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 addressing issues of discrimination against older women; initiating and promoting
discussion and action about ageism, sexism, racism and feminism;

promoting appropriate policies and to lobby for legislative and other reforms on issues
affecting the quality of life of all older women and to work for equity for all older women;

working towards equity for all older women and recognition of the work/contribution of
older women in society;
promoting the rights, dignity and wellbeing of older women.

OWN AUSTRALIA is a non-profit community based organisation that caters for the needs of older
women through the provision of advocacy and services. OWN AUSTRALIA is founded, developed
and managed by older women, making the organisation a paramount body of pragmatic knowledge
and expertise on issues affecting women at an older age.

OWN AUSTRALIA’S BEGINNINGS:

In 1985 a group of members and project workers from the NSW Combined Pensioner’s Association
identified the need to establish a network that focussed on the issues, special needs, interests and
concerns of older women. In 1993 the network became incorporated, having grown into a specialist
organisation, regularly providing expertise and input into Government policy and matters related to
older women.

OWN AUSTRALIA has branches in 4 States of Australia. Once a year a member’s conference
brings all branches together to discuss older women’s issues, share information, updates and
achievements with each branch and develop a national agenda of older women’s priorities. The role
of OWN AUSTRALIA and all its State branches is to promote the rights, dignity and wellbeing of
older women through activities that develop women’s leadership, encourage participation, contribute
towards physical and mental wellbeing and assist capacity building.

Own Australia and its State branches’ functions include peer development and support, advocacy,
research, lobbying, training and service provision in the form of activities for older women.

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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF OWN AUSTRALIA:

To promote mutual support and friendship between older women

To vigorously resist discrimination in all its form but particularly discrimination directed
towards older women
To focus on healthy ageing strategies which include social, intellectual, physical and
emotional factors
To recognise and use older women’s skills and capacities, and to encourage the
development of other capacities
To advance the interests of older women through research, advocacy, lobbying and
networking on issues affecting older women’s lives

The project worked with four groups from metropolitan Sydney (Sutherland OWN, Sydney OWN,
Baulkham Hills OWN, Northside OWN), and one regional group from south of Sydney (Illawarra
OWN). In addition, a number of older women leaders from other OWN groups participated in the
training component of this project. These women came from Parramatta OWN, Central Coast OWN,
and OWN leaders working with Older Aboriginal Women from La Perouse.

Older women participating in the project came from diverse cultural, economic, educational and
religious backgrounds.

These social elements enriched the educational component of this project by exposing participants
to the challenges of catering for the needs of a diverse community when advocating on behalf of
their group.

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PROGRAM RATIONALE AND LOGIC

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM

The Older Women Make Wise Leaders was designed as an activities and training project aiming to
facilitate older women’s participation in society through holding roles in community and government
groups to advocate, promote and voice the needs, achievements and views of older women. Training
and activities were the means to assist older women to overcome barriers such as isolation, self-esteem
issues and limited knowledge of the community and government systems. The project also provided
support to facilitate participants’ insertion in the community as leaders, becoming role models for older
women and the trainers of future leaders within their groups. It was the view of this project that society
would benefit from the skills, knowledge and expertise older women bring to policy development,
community services management and advisory bodies.

OWN Australia and all its branches (referred here as OWN) had identified the need for an activities
and training program for leadership through research and consultation with older women.

A series of focus groups and discussion meetings with OWN members in different areas of Australia in
2002 resulted in the report Four discussion guides on leadership and capacity building for older women.
The report documents that ‘OWN groups are finding it difficult to encourage older women to take a
leading role and, in some areas have had difficulty finding enough women prepared to assist with the
running of groups. ‘We need to find ways to build the confidence of members in developing and running
organisations. Older women often acknowledge their willingness to be involved but sometimes believe
they lack the skills or knowledge to be useful at an organisational level. They often do not realise that,
through their life experiences at home and at work, they are highly skilled leaders, advocates,
negotiators and networkers’.4

In considering all the previously stated research findings, the Older Women Make Wise Leaders project
sought first to address the issues preventing older women from community participation.

4
Bishop, M. Four discussion guides on leadership and capacity building for older women. Real Options International,
2002.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL INCLUSION: THE ACTIVITIES PROGRAM

The project aimed to increase older women’s participation in the community through activities and
training. The activities program was run in conjunction with Wellness centres from some OWN groups.
There are currently six Wellness Centres in the Sydney area. The project ran an average of 20 activities
per week over 4 terms (39 weeks) through Wellness Centres in the Inner City, Southern and Northern
areas, and one regional group from Coniston.

At first, the project recruited older women from OWN’s membership as well as from different sectors
of the community, including smaller or special needs groups. Participants were members of ethno-
specific groups, Aboriginal older women’s group and regional/rural groups. Recruited participants
were encouraged to share their experiences, life skills, and views as well as develop friendships in
an inclusive environment and through activities that promoted interaction.

Numerous programs and research conducted by OWN demonstrated that older women needed first
to overcome isolation before being able to be active participants in the community. Isolation was
identified to arise from a sense of being misunderstood and/or not being heard in a society that holds
an inaccurate image of older women’s identity, values and needs. Activities that brought a sense of
belonging, common values and promoted social networking proved to be effective in helping older
women to reinsert themselves in society.

Reports such as Kicking Up Autumn Leaves, an evaluation on the Wellness project ran by
OWNNSW demonstrates that building older women’s self-esteem, counteract society’ stereotype of

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older women and promote wellbeing through activities can result in participants gaining confidence
and skills to become active members of the community: “The supportive, interactive and participatory
culture of Wellness groups generates citizenship skills that are put to use both within and outside
Wellness groups. There were numerous examples of women taking on new community roles […],
speaking at conferences, and becoming active in community politics, charities and boards.” 5.

This first stage of the project encouraged women to break isolation, increase motivation, feel valued
members of the community, validate their networking, leadership and social skills acquired through
volunteering and life experiences. Activities such as Tai Chi, Feldenkrais, Drumming, International
Dancing, Strengthening and Gentle Exercises, Qi Gong, Creative Movement classes ran by qualified
facilitators, as well as Discussion groups and Social Outings built women’s confidence, assisted in
combating isolation, provided friendships and social networking.

Participants of Tai Chi classes

Activities promoted interaction between participants and experienced leaders of OWN, exposing the
former to a prolific systems advocacy work and dynamic community participation environment
created by the later.

5
Pinn, J et al. Kicking Up Autumn Leaves: A Report on the Women Owning Wellness Evaluation Project. NSCCHP,
North Ryde, 2006.pg 58.

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 Helping each other in gentle exercise class

Over 250 women benefitted through the project’s activities component ran through OWN’s Wellness
centres, with many of them crediting their participation in these activities for significantly improving
their lifestyles, mental health and social lives. (see page 22: Snapshot: Outcomes from participating
in the Activities Program)

BUILDING WOMEN’S CAPACITY TOWARDS LEADERSHIP: THE TRAINING PROGRAM

The training program, the second stage of our project, offered education on lobbying, systems
advocacy, policy formulation, submission writing, service planning and community management to
older women that have come together through the activities program.

Roxana facilitating training on submission writing

The Training Program was tailor designed in consultation with older women, after surveying their
educational needs.

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An invitation to the women to attend training was designed and distributed widely among OWN
groups.

The invitation ensured that issues of self-esteem, self-doubt, and self-perception of not being able to
learn or not having enough literacy or basic skills were addressed in the wording and design. The
invitation suggested an inclusive environment, a training designed specifically for older women and
catering for different levels and needs. The Project Officer also visited OWN groups to discuss these
issues and address their needs.

Two-day training sessions on Community Leadership were offered in two locations: south of Sydney
and central Sydney. The Sydney south session catered for Own groups from Sutherland and Illawarra
(regional). The Sydney CBD session was accessible to groups from the west, east, north and city.

Although the initial targeted number of women to be trained as leaders was 40 women, due to the
overwhelming response to our flyers the project stretched its resource and trained 58 women; 35
women attended the city session and 23 participants trained in Sutherland.

Training participants

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The training courses covered the following topics:

Community Management:

Agenda and Minutes

Role and responsibilities of Community Management members

Boards and Office Bearers roles

Governance Models for Community Groups

Legal and Financial Accountability

Strategic Vision and Objectives

Rules of Organisations: Constitution

Submission Writing:

What’s a submission

How to read guidelines

How to write effective submissions

How to gather information and supporting evidence for a submission

Submissions Formats

Training participants

Policy

Definitions of Policy

What is policy

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 Why have Policies?

What does Policy look like?

Practical aspects of keeping Policy

How to write organisational policies

Key principles in writing and keeping Policy

Training participants

Advocacy

What is advocacy
Skills and information: know your goals, your target community, issues

Most effective strategies for effective advocacy: Communication, Bureaucratic, Political, Legal
and Media strategies

Systems advocacy

Networking

Preparing a Community Action Plan

Community leadership

What makes a good community leader?

Skills and attributes of a leader

The course offered theory and practice, allowing women to apply acquired knowledge into practical
exercises reflecting common activities in community work such as writing submissions for funding

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and advocating Government on behalf of older women. Practical exercises were facilitated through
small groups, developing women’s discussion, cooperation and negotiations skills often needed in
community work.

Glenda presenting on behalf of her team

In addition, and in-line with the main concept of the project of older women training their peers, the
training included a talk by an experienced OWN leader, offering inspiration, reviewing their path to
becoming leaders and showcasing a role model for participants.

Renate Watkinson, one of OWN’s experienced leaders encouraging older women trainees
with an inspiring talk

Participants of the training course ran at Sydney CBD also had the opportunity to observe advocacy
through art when the OWN Theatre Group performed songs of their repertoire highlighting older
women’s issues such as surviving violence and health matters.

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The aims of the Theatre Group are to present a positive image of ageing, with performances that
educate, inform and entertain.

OWN Theatre Group

A COMMUNITY LEADER IN THEIR OWN WORDS

One of the allocated tasks to groups in training was to define the qualities, skills and knowledge
required to make a good community leader on a large piece of paper on the wall. Group members draw
a picture of a leader and attached essential qualities to it. Some of the results from this exercise are
below.

It is interesting to notice that few groups mentioned femininity or sexy as attributes of a leader. In further
exploration of these concepts, participants stated the importance of validating their femininity and
special female attributes through their work as older women, fighting prejudice of female qualities/brain
dichotomies and opposing society’s misconceptions of asexual women at an older age.

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 All seeing Remembering our femininity
All hearing Strength
All feeling Creative
Motivated Integrity
Energetic Abundance of outreach

Connections in the community Resilient

Great speaker Sexy
Well presented Talented
Great personality Confidence
Compassionate Experience of life
Like other people Good planner
Outgoing Good people manager
(Good) Listener Good organizer
Energy Good health

Healthy Motivated Caring

Dedicated Assertive Good communicator
Confident Strong woman Able
Idealistic Trustworthy Advocate
Supportive Willing Knowledgeable
Able to write submissions Sharing
Tolerant Hard worker Pleasant Kind

Able Strong Sincere

Supportive Resilient Intelligent
Perceptive Kind Tactful
Compassionate Good listener Tough
Non judgmental Persistent Loyal
Accountable Creative Honest
Team player Practical Flexible
Sexy
(adheres to principles of) Confidentiality

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NEW BORN LEADERS: THE POST-TRAINING STAGE

Skill acquired through the training resulted in new leaders able to merge their leadership capacity to
their already existing life skills, knowledge and experience to offer them to the community.

Increasing the number of community skilled older women has built the capacity of OWN to
represent the views of their members and contribute to the development of public policy and
service delivery.

OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT

The Older Women Make Wise Leaders project has been highly effective in preparing older women
for leadership. As a result of the training, participants have become discerning community members
taking on strategic positions in management committees, project steering committees, service
delivery management and advisors to Government services.

Some of the achievements of older women throughout the 12 months of this project’s life are:

Ten participants were successful at obtaining grants for OWN groups through five well
written, focused, professional submissions;

Seven participants were involved in starting two new OWN groups (Hills OWN and
Illawarra Wellness), having previously researched the older women’s population profile
and services available to them. One of the groups, Illawarra OWN, has at the time of this
report, over 60 members.

Two experienced OWN members supported the new leaders in promoting the new
groups’ activities, negotiating venues, launching the groups and networking with other
services and agencies to share resources;

Motivated new leaders discussing projects for their groups

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 Twelve participants took part in Strategic Planning for their groups;

Five participants worked together in developing a short activities program targeted to

recruit older women to the group;

Twenty four participants have become members of 15 agencies’ committees since

empowered with the skills and knowledge required to be part of a board. Committees
work on the areas of advocacy, service administration, newsletter editorial, peer support,
fundraising, promotion and OWN representation;

More than thirty participants collaborated in submission and responses to Government’s

review of the future of community health in NSW, federal policy on women’s health, local
Council’s community consultations on services, preparing for aging health survey, local
Government consultation on Ageing Well strategies.

Seven leaders met and offered support, training opportunities and resources to an
Indigenous older women from La Perouse (Sydney East)

Four OWN groups upgrade the design and reviewed contents of their brochures,
promoted their activities more effectively and increased membership

BUILDING CAPACITY:

The Older Women Make Wise Leaders project is proving to benefit older women beyond its 12
months of operation, delivering long-term beneficial outcomes and making them sustainable. New
leaders are now training other older women by mentoring in community roles, supporting them to
become future leaders.

A performance by THE DAMES, Sutherland OWN Theatre Group at

the launch of Hills OWN: inspiring leadership and showcasing a
positive image of older women

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Their guidance, knowledge sharing and peer support is already placing new group members in
active roles in the community where they can offer their input, views, knowledge and skills. Some of
the many advocacy, project planning and community work activities brewing at the time of publishing
this report are:

Illawarra Wellness has coordinated the first of their planned monthly luncheons,
attracting over 30 participants, including Council staff. The luncheons aim to promote
the group, consult activities program with members and stimulate friendships and
networking. Leaders contacted Alzheimer’s Australia and obtained an educational kit to
facilitate Mind Games for attendees.

Sutherland OWN has met with members and shared their knowledge of submission
writing acquired through the training component of this project, resulting in capacitating
more women to write funding proposals

Northside and Illawarra OWN are working towards a joint proposal of funding for
international dancing classes and facilitating of a writing group

OWN’s Sutherland, Sydney, Northside, Illawarra, Blacktown and Bankstown’s Wellness

projects are preparing issues and discussion items for a Wellness Planning Day

All the above mentioned activities are being carried by OWN leaders, who are mentoring other
women through the work and in an inclusive and supportive environment. It is It is foreseen through
this mentoring that older women active in the community continue influencing, encouraging and
motivating older women within their groups to have active roles in society.

The project has stimulated capacity building by training the future trainers of older women.

KEY LEARNINGS

The key learnings for OWN Australia from the implementation of the Older Women Make Wise
Leaders project are:

The barriers preventing women to fill community roles can be overcame through an
activities and training program tailored to their needs

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The high number of participants in this project surpassed OWN’s research findings,
anecdotal information, and estimate of older women’s commitment to advocacy and
community roles when appropriate tools and support are provided.

Keeping health and happy with gentle exercises

The pilot of this project through OWN NSW has provided a picture of the project in a
smaller scale, allowing for a detailed observation of strategies and activities useful in
recruiting older women and developing their leadership potential. The pilot project
has generated a model plan to develop similar projects in other States, with
information and resources to facilitate leadership development.

A successful mentoring model of peer support by older women is rapidly building

OWN’s capacity, expertise and strength, reinforcing the organisation’s profile of being
a peak body and strong player in the community field

The project has proven to be of great benefit to older women wanting to become active
members of the community with many participants thriving in community roles

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EVALUATION METHODS:

Surveys were tools used in:

Obtaining information on age, backgrounds and socio-economic status of participants

Consulting women on developing the activities program

Finding out the impact of activities program had on their wellbeing and social life

Establishing most relevant topics for training, location preference and special needs

Community consultations to find out women’s preferences for activities and sought outcomes from
becoming part of a group were held after launching each new group.

Cate Turner, OWN Australia Convenor, speaking at the launch of Hills OWN

Feedback forms were used after launching new groups seeking comments and encouraging input.

Evaluation forms for rating presentations, relevance of topics and knowledge and skills gained were
collected from training participants

Groups meetings facilitated direct face-to-face contact with older women, discussions and consultations
on evaluating hurdles encountered in community leadership role

One-to-one interviews evaluated new leaders’ insertion in community roles. Individual reports on
outcomes from their community work facilitated evaluation on applying gained knowledge

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FINDINGS AND STATISTICS

SNAPSHOT OF PARTICIPANTS’ AGE AND ETHNIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS:

Number of participants surveyed: 200

AGE
AGE GROUP PARTICIPANTS
55 years old and under 3
56 – 65 52
66 – 75 82
76 – 85 46
86 + 8
Illegible 1
Did not answer 8

Highlight: 41% of participants are 66-75 year old

BACKGROUND
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN/ ETHNICITY PARTICIPANTS
Aboriginal Australia 2
Australia 118
Canada 2
Croatia 2
Did not answer 13
Ecuador 1
Egypt 1
Germany 2
Greece 3
Italy 10
Japan 1
Lebanon 5
Malta 9
Mauritius 5
New Zealand 1
Philippines 1
Romania 1
South Africa 2
Spain 1
UK 19
Vietnam 1
Highlight:
Australian: 59%
Other countries: 33.5%
Non-English Speaking Background: 21.5%

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INCOME
TYPE OF INCOME PARTICIPANTS
Aged Pension 86
No Centrelink benefit 49
Centrelink benefit (not specified) 43
Disability Benefit 8
Carer Pension 2
No answer 1
Superannuation 2
Partner Allowance 2
Widow Pension 5
Single Benefit 2

Highlight: 74% receive Government financial assistance

HOUSING
HOUSING STATUS PARTICIPANTS
Own 181
Rent 12
Other living arrangement 3
No answer 4

Highlight: 90.5% own their home

Snapshot: positive outcomes from participating in the Activities program

From 200 surveyed participants, 80.5 % of participants found the activities helpful in:
Managing pain or a health condition 116
Dealing with sadness or depression 82
Self-esteem issues 103
Not feeling supported by family or society 46
Dealing with isolation or loneliness 65
Dealing with feelings of not being important/valued by the community 46
Counteracting feeling old 75

An evaluation from the training shows:

97.5 % of participants found that the training delivered all the information they expected to
receive, while the remaining 2.5% stated they obtained most the information sought

When asked what topics or information they would like to explore further, participants chose
advocacy, policy and submission writing as the main topics of interest.

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In a question opened to more than one choice, 85% of participants found the training
interesting; 77.5% found it relevant and thought provoking; 70% of participants identified the
training as challenging; 57.7% found the training comprehensive; 5% found it difficult and 0%
marked the training irrelevant or too long.

90% of participants felt more confident to become a community leader and participate in
community meetings after the 2-days training.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

OWN Australia would like to thank the Office for Women for funding the Older Women Make Wise
Leaders project, giving older women an opportunity to grow, feel validated and becoming leaders in
our community

A special thank you to all OWN NSW management committee and groups that enthusiastically
welcomed this initiative and offered their support and Wellness centres to the Activities Program.
This project would have not been possible without the assistance of members of OWN groups
creating a positive image and a welcoming environment to all older women participants.

To the OWN Wellness Subcommittee for their support, input and steering of this project

To Noreen Hewett and Renate Watkinson for inspiring training participants with their insightful
presentations and offering a role model of older women’s leadership.

To OWN NSW staff, and in particular to Kris Ferguson for the financial administration of this project.

To the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts and the Sutherland United Services Club for generously
allowing us the use of their training rooms and facilities

And a very special thank you to all the women that participated in this program; for their input, their
enthusiasm, their wisdom and talents, their knowledge and skills that selflessly share with the rest of
the community, giving us all, the wider society, a positive image of ageing and offering a role model
to other older women.

October 2009

Evaluation by:
Roxana Rascon
Consultant
www.consultant.vpweb.com.au

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