Older Women’s Forum to bring leaders together on growing challenges facing women on the Central Coast
In October, the University of Newcastle, Action on Housing for Older Women and Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre will host one of the largest forums of its kind in Australia, bringing together leaders from government, business, academia, health and community services to address the growing challenges facing older women.
Older women are too often overlooked in conversations about housing, health, safety, financial security and social connection, despite facing increasingly complex and intersecting challenges.
While the forum will be grounded in the lived experiences of women on the Central Coast, the issues it will explore reflect a much broader national picture, with communities across Australia grappling with how best to support an ageing female population.
The forum, Older Women on the Central Coast: The Way Forward, will be officially opened by Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP, and will create space for older women to share their experiences directly while bringing together sector leaders and decision-makers to examine what is already working, where significant gaps remain, and what practical action is needed next.
The program will include panel discussions, sector perspectives and an innovation workshop facilitated by Dr Courtney Molloy and Jennie McGhie from the University of Newcastle.
Speakers and panellists will also include Gohar Yazdabadi, CEO of Council on the Ageing NSW, and Yumi Lee, CEO of the Older Women’s Network, alongside local and state representatives.
Central to the day will be a focus on moving beyond awareness and into action – strengthening collaboration across services, improving understanding of the issues facing older women, and identifying practical opportunities for more coordinated and effective support.
The forum will be held on Friday 16 October at the University of Newcastle’s Gosford campus.
Registrations are now open via https://www.givenow.com.au/event/490.