Voice and Gender: Seminar by HelpAge

A three-day seminar held in Lviv in December 2023 for organizations caring for vulnerable population groups focused on gender and a gender approach in their work, as well as the concept of voice as the ability to advocate for one’s own rights and interests. Experts Georgine Waitch and Stephanie de Chassy not only provided theoretical knowledge but also reinforced it through exercises and practical examples. During the training, participants explored basic concepts such as “gender,” “voice,” “power,” and their connection to the topic of older people. After understanding the fundamentals, representatives of the civil sector attempted to answer important questions, such as whether their organization’s work is gender-sensitive or gender-neutral, what types of power their team uses to improve the lives of vulnerable individuals, and to what extent beneficiaries are involved in their organization’s work and what impact they have on their projects. The three intensive days were valuable in bringing like-minded people and those working towards a common cause in different regions of Ukraine together. Daria Titarova, an assistant to the managing co-founder of the “Elderly” Fund, who attended the seminar, had the opportunity to get to know representatives of HelpAge and leaders of local initiatives in Lviv, Chernivtsi, and Ivano-Frankivsk more closely. It was another excellent opportunity for HelpAge to acquire new knowledge and exchange experiences with colleagues.