KICK OFF MEETING

Kick Off Meeting

Between 20-23 March 2017, all WHOSEFVA partners from six different countries (Austria, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia and the UK) celebrated the launch of the project in Heraklion, Greece.

The meeting took place in the Union of Women Members Associations of Heraklion Prefecture Guest House.

In preparation for the Mutual Learning Workshops, Finnish expert Sirkka Perttu trained staff of partner organizations about violence against older women and the complex background of this topic in the European context.

Points of discussion included:

1) Background knowledge on abuse of older women

  • Gender issues defining violence against older women
  • Human rights approach / women’s rights approach
  • Ageism and gender discrimination and promoting positive attitudes
  • Elder abuse – forms, prevalence and various issues faced by older female victims

2) Working with an older survivor

  • Complex trauma caused by violence for older women
  • Challenges in seeking help and the process
  • Working with older people – needs of older women including social and health care, safety planning

3) Practice Procedures

  • Introduction of good practice protocol in the emergency unit in Helsinki City Hospital
  • Multi-agency cooperation and how to build trust and synergies
  • Austrian and Finnish examples of multi-agency cooperation in elder abuse