Réseau des groupes de femmes Chaudière-Appalaches

Published purpose

This 28-month project will support a feminist response to and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19 through systemic change. To achieve this, the Réseau des groupes de femmes Chaudière-Appalaches plans to help older women overcome the impacts of COVID-19 and improve their living conditions, which deteriorated significantly during the pandemic. More specifically, the project will tackle systemic barriers to ageism faced by older women in Chaudière-Appalaches: by deploying action research to identify concrete strategic recommendations to implement in the region; by documenting best practices through the provincial consultations of the Tables de groupes de femmes; by creating a community action plan aimed to ensure their full participation in society and democracy; and by increasing knowledge about ageism toward older women and ways to deconstruct it. Pilot project implementation will enable the application and evaluation of promising practices with women’s groups and other partners in the social-community network. The organization will seek out key stakeholders in the region to promote the promising practices identified and thereby promote the social, political and democratic participation of older women. By the end of the project, the organization will have helped eliminate systemic barriers by promoting inclusive policies and practices; by encouraging a more effective and equitable division of resources; by increasing networks and collaboration to accelerate systemic change; by supporting a positive division of power, voice and decision-making authority; and by changing persistent and harmful gender norms and attitudes in support of women’s equality.