Older Women’s Network, Europe (OWN Europe) was first established in 1991 as a UK-based international not-for-profit association thanks to a three-year project funded by the EU. Its aim was to link older women across the European Union and beyond, develop their voice, and make policy recommendations at local, national and EU level.
In 2006, OWN Europe was reformed under the leadership of the late Alvy Derks (Fos’ten, the Netherlands) as a ‘Stichting’ (non-for-profit organisation) registered in the Netherlands.
Today OWN Europe is a think-tank and lobby group composed of older women active at local, national and international level. We seek to influence strategy formulation, policy implementation, and change relating to older women’s human rights, as well as the development and delivery of services to meet the needs of older women across Europe.
In addition to challenging all forms of discrimination we bring extensive skills to our work. This includes, but is not exclusive to: advocacy in employment and labour relations, inclusive financial services; challenging violence and abuse; accessible life-long learning, appropriate, affordable long-term care, and targeted qualitative research.
We recognise that older women are not homogeneous as older age embraces at least two generations, and two thirds of the oldest age group are women. Our different lived experiences require sensitive and targeted services to meet our diverse and evolving needs.
owneurope.org 