The project
True to Age, true to gender (TAG) aims to improve the integration of older learners’ experiences and life stories into adult education. In addition to addressing issues of ageism and discrimination, TAG also focuses on promoting the gender equality of older adults in adult education.
Context
Today in Europe: the population is aging, but is not engaging in lifelong learning at a sufficient rate. In an ever-changing world, older people are forced to integrate into new and stimulating environments, requiring them to acquire new knowledge and adaptive attitudes that can only be acquired through education and training. In this sense, the training of the elderly is of great importance to encourage them to be more active and participatory in the social and civic spheres.
As people age, their life experiences and knowledge can be a valuable resource for learning and teaching. However, older adults often face barriers to participating in adult education, such as ageism, discrimination, and lack of support.
In addition, TAG integrates social and societal issues that affect women: gender equality, women’s rights and the need to include corresponding content in the training of older women.
TAG advocates for the integration of age and gender issues into any training program for older women so that they can feel comfortable with their age and gender, feel more confident, and are more often able to engage in equality.
Goals
- Enhance the professional skills of trainers to work with older learners and motivate them to take a more active role in their community and in lifelong learning.
- Creating safe learning spaces for older adults by leveraging gender issues as a motivational trigger;
- To raise awareness of the issue of invisibilized women by collecting stories of female intellectuals and artists of the 20th century who have distinguished themselves at the national level and who have a European dimension;
- To better understand gender issues through history, the common values of the European Union and the community cultural heritage;
- Create synergies between relevant actors in the fields of education and culture and entities working with the elderly.
Targets
TAG is for adult educators (mentors, trainers, professors, teachers…), seniors and women over 55.
Resources
A guide to the history of belittled and invisible women that promotes the active participation of older adults in lifelong learning
A training module “How to raise awareness of gender, social and digital issues among older learners”.
A collection of ebooks based on stories developed through collaborative storytelling during work groups composed of older learners.
An interactive map of the EU created by working groups of older learners.
Les partenaires
N.E.T.
N.E.T. is a non-profit association founded in 2001 by experts in the field of training and education. N.E.T. focuses on disadvantaged people such as women, the long-term unemployed, the elderly, the handicapped and single parents, in order to provide them with social support through training and employment.
Slovenian Third Age University U3A
The Slovenian University of the Third Age is an umbrella organization and a national network enabling older people to develop, start a new career and remain integrated in society. The network currently has 55 universities throughout Slovenia, with over 21,000 students, 1000 mentors and 1000 volunteers.
