Femcities Conferences
Austrian Red Cross
Violence against senior women is a concerning issue that often goes unnoticed. Elderly women may face various forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, or financial, either within institutional settings or at home. Challenges arise due to factors such as dependence on caregivers, societal neglect of abuse against older individuals, and barriers in reporting incidents. Violence against senior women is still a taboo and therefore even less visible in society than violence against younger women. Addressing this issue requires increased awareness, improved support systems, and effective policies to safeguard the well-being and dignity of senior women.
Between October 2008 and January 2009, the Austrian Red Cross led the EU-funded project “Breaking the Taboo” to help recognize and act against violence against senior women within the family. With its partner organizations, it held 12 awareness-raising workshops with 158 staff members and managers of community health and social service organizations in Austria, Finland, Portugal and Italy. During interactive sessions, participants carried out role-plays and worked on case studies to improve their preparedness to deal with violence against senior women. Participants discussed guidelines to help identify signs of emotional abuse, such as ways to spot sudden changes in the alertness or appetite of their clients. Through peer-to-peer learning, they gained insight into strategies for overcoming the difficulties associated with reporting abuse, learning about communicating and building trust with the victim. Continuous exchange and mutual support were also encouraged between colleagues in order to cope with the challenging situations often encountered at work.
Project partners also produced a brochure containing tools to recognize violence, strategies on how to deal with violence, and country specific information on the legal framework as well as possible organizations to turn to for support. The project was well received and was continued from December 2009 to December 2011.
A project like “Breaking the Taboo”, dedicated to identifying and combatting violence against senior women, can have a transformative impact by raising awareness, providing support, and fostering a protective environment. It helps create a culture where elder abuse is recognized, reported, and addressed, contributing to the well-being and safety of senior women.
Breaking the Taboo - Homepage
