Women and Aging Conference
September 22, 2000, The George Washington University at Mount Vernon College, Washington DC
Sponsors:
The George Washington University Women's Studies Program
The Institute for Women's Policy Research
Clara G. Schiffer
The Washington DC Area Geriatric Education Consortium


The following is a summary of the procedings of the Women and Aging Conference, a collaborative endeavor of a number of individuals and organizations.  The conference brought together activists, academics, researchers, health care personnel and community advisors with an interest in women and aging.  In what follows we will attempt to give a summary of the key points presented by each speaker.  In addition, we will provide websites linking to a number of aging and health resources.  Please feel free to offer us any feedback and to make suggestions about additional resources.*

*Special thanks to Deborah Fort who has shared her professional reporting skills with us and kindly provided us with copies of her notes.  Part of the following is based on these.


The idea for this conference was born when Clara G. Schiffer (left), sat down with Diane Bell, Director of Women's Studies (right) and proclaimed that we need something on women and aging.  Clara regaled us with stories of her 80-some years of activism and social & political reform.  It quickly became clear to us that with Clara's visionary guidance and generous support, we could team with other organizations to make this happen.  On behalf of all the participants and the audience we thank Clara  for her leadership.
 
 

Keynote Address:  Judy Norsigian, Program Director, Boston Women's Health Book Collective
Session 1:  Economics of Aging
Session 2:  Cultural:  Many Faces of Aging
Session 3:  Politics of Aging
Drafted Statement of Action in Response to Confernce
 
 
 


Grae Baxter, Executive Dean, The George Washington University at Mount Vernon College, welcomed  a crowd of 80 people.  Dean Baxter gave a brief history of Mount Vernon College and of its founder, Elizabeth Somers.  Information on both Elizabeth Somers and on The George Washington University at Mount Vernon College can be found on their website.

Clara Schiffer addressed us next.  She recounted an incident from her days in the Department Health, Education and Welfare where Elliot Richardson had an idea to pull together a team that would treat the topic of "nutrition" from various angles of expertise.  It fell finally on Clara's desk with a memo from above saying "let's do it."  This became part of Clara's modus operandi.  Clara emphasized the need for multi-disciplinary collaboration on the topic of women and aging.  She pointed out that this conference may be the starting point for a University wide committee that would address the many aspects of women and aging.

Judy Norsigian, Program Director, Boston Women's Health Book Collective

The keynote address was delivered by Judy Norsigian, Program Director, Boston Women's Health Book Collective and one of the authors of the original Our Bodies, Ourselves. The collective also published a resource for older women, Ourselves, Growing Older, by Paula Doress-Worters and Diana Laskin Siegal (Touchstone, 1987).  Information on this book can be found at www.ourbodiesourselves.org

Judy set the tone for the day by first narrating the history of the collective.  She emphasized that part of their struggle as a non-profit who will not accept money from drug companies, is continuing to find the financial resources needed to stay afloat.  The integrity of the collective concerning these type of structural issues is a paradigm for us as we set out to work on issues of women and aging.  In this field, which is part and parcel of the health field, we are faced with similar issues--corporate influences, lack of funding, and a need to think globally and to be aware of diversity.

In the late 60s and early 70s, the women who formed The Boston Women's Health Book Collective faced  a dearth of positive, women-centered information.  Instead, an abundance of literature medicalized, hystericized and de-naturalized the female body.   Judy mentioned many examples, including:

The specter of prescription drug companies and managed care in our present system, contribute to extremes of overtreatment and undertreatment (for the uninsured).  Further the social forces of able-body-ism, racism, sexism and homophobia contribute to the overall neglect of women's health.  The media continues to dictate women's self images.  Norsigian pointed out that pop stars such as Brittany Spears are now being marketed to an audience as young as 5 or 6 years old.  She referred us to Beyond Killing Us Softly:  The Strength to Resist.

Norsigian emphasized that these are crucial issues as "we will all be disabled in some way, at some time."  Norsigian's late husband, Irving Zola, wrote extensively on the issue of disabilities and his reflections can be downloaded from his website, www.irvingzola.com.

Where can we go from here?

Norsigian cites Marcia Angel, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine:

Norsigian points to the "disinformation" of candidate Bush.  She envisions a universal single payer which would be like an extension of medicare.

At the same time we must keep a close watch on pharmaceutical companies.  Norsigian claims they enjoy the largest profits in American industry.  Furthermore, there are countless examples of new drugs being inadequately tested.  This atrocity is made worse by the new advertising campaigns which are everywhere on the rise.  The advertising is making a difference as the 25 most advertised drugs accounted for 40 percent of drug revenue in the last year.

Norsigian also urged us to resist the influence of tobacco companies.  Smoking continues to be on the rise amongst women and lung cancer continues to be the topmost cause of cancer related deaths.  It has increased 500 times since 1950 and is in fact the largest cause of women's death worldwide.  It is also the single-most preventable form of death.

We were also reminded to be aware of our own bodies and needs, particularly as we grow older.  Sexuality is by no means the least of these.  Norsigian pointed out that even in this arena, women are often overmedicalized, rushing to purchase and use commercial lubricants rather than take the time needed to achieve arousal.  She also encouraged us to follow our own pace and to allow ourselves to enjoy the pleasures of our partner, and vice versa, when we simply did not have the energy of desire.

In summary, by addressing a vast array of health issues from a global and holistic perspective, Judy Norsigian provided a thread that would be woven through the day.  Her compassion, careful analysis and platforms for action inspire us with possibilites.  Like women's health in general, the issue of women and aging has many components, political, cultural and economic.  It must be approached from the individual level, the institutional level and the environmental level.  On September 22, 2000 we gathered to approach the issues collectively.

Session 1:  The Economics of Aging


Catherine Hill, Ph.D., The Institute for Women's Policy Research.  Catherine is an expert in the area of social security, acted as a conference planner, participant and Chair of Session 1.  Copies of the report co-authored by Catherine and Heidi Hartmann of IWPR are available for downloading on their website.  For additional information on social security as it affects older women, visit women4socialsecurity.org.

In her conference presentation, Hill emphasized that privatization social security would be bad for women and untenable overall.  Some of the key arguments against it are:

For a more in-depth presentation, visit the website above.
 


Charita Castro, Ph.D. student in Public Policy at the George Washington University, Census Bureau statistician, and social worker.

Charita discussed the hard hitting effects of privatizing social security on women, particularly minority women.  Here are some of the key statistics she discussed:

Some of the reasons for these statistics are:


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Dr. Joanne Lynn, Center to Improve Care for the Dying.  Dr. Lynn started off with the frank declaration "I'm here to deliver the bad news.  There's one death in store for everyone."

Lynn pointed out that in the last 100 years a great shift has occurred in the age and cause of death in this country.  At that time the average age of death was 46.  The average woman died in childbirth, the average man in work related conditions.  Today the average age of death is 80, and consequently we experience all sorts of age-related diseases.

Some of Lynn's key statistics:

More information on Dr. Lynn's book, Handbook for Mortals and on the Center to Improve Care for the Dying, can be found on the website above.


Michelle Pollack, Attorney and lobbyist for AARP. Pollack pointed out that as a lobbyist for AARP, constant strategizing was required.  For this reason AARP addresses labor issues which are also civil rights and women's issues though not necessarily framed as such.  It remains a constant challenge to get Congress interested in the plight of older persons, particularly women.  More information can be found on their website.


Alicia Ruiz, Tenants' and Workers' Support Committee of Northern Virginia.

Alicia spoke (translated by Dan Moshenberg) of the plight of older Latina women.  She has been working with the immigrant population of Alexandria for the past 16 years.  Of the many programs her Committee offers, that on health is perhaps the most important.  80% of the population she works with have no health insurance and thus spend large amounts of time and money on emergency room visits where there are no interpreters

The average income of this population is $12,000 and yet they have often from $1000-$38,000 in health debts.

Ruiz pointed out that saddest of all is the position of older Latina women who in this country are isolated and invisible.  These are women who in her culture would be revered as the wise women and the elders.  Yet here, though they have spent their life in service to this country and their community, they live in a kind of penal colony.


Session 2:  Cultural:  Many Faces of Aging

Dan Moshenberg, Ph.D., The George Washington University chaired this session.  Dan was one of the primary conference coordinators as well as a session chair and an interpreter.  Here he is seated with Ruby Williams.


Dr. Gene Cohen, Center of Aging, Health and Humanities, The George Washington University Medical Center.
Author of The Creative Age:  Awakening human potential in the second half of life.  (Avon Books:  2000)

Dr. Cohen first pointed out the need for new metaphors for aging.  He called it, using Georgia O'Keefe's words, "Sky Above Clouds".

Dr. Cohen also pointed out that more thought needs to go into the second half of life.  Erik Erikson, though he outlined 8 stages of life, has only one to refer to the second half of life.  Cohen used this paradigm to expand on 4 discrete stages in the later years.

1.  Midlife reevaluation.  This is the first time that one becomes seriously aware of the inevitability of mortality.  The creativity potential of this phase is underrated.

2.  Freedom/Liberation.  Here Dr. Cohen cites examples of women like Granny Smith who made hybrid apples in her 60s and Laura Ingalls Wilder who began writing the Little House series in her 60s.  Oftentimes creative potential has only begun at this stage.

3.  Summing up Phase.  In the 70s there is an increase in the writing of autobiography and of story telling.  This is the time when people "sum up" and share their knowledge.  Martha Graham stopped dancing in her 70s and began to choreograph.

4.  Encore Phase.  Here "encore" is used in contrast to the oft-referred to "swan song".   Sarah and Bessie Delany, sisters both alive at 100 have the longest human relationship on record.  They wrote the collaborative autobiography Having Our Say:  The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years.  After Bessie's death, Sarah wrote her encore at age 107, On My Own.

Dr. Cohen offered words of optimism, saying that widows were one of the most creative and adaptable groups there is.  Dr. Cohen used Grandma Moses and other artists who started new endeavors in very late years as paradigms of inspiration.  "It's never too late to change."
 


Carol Downs, National Association of State Units on Aging and specialist on elder abuse.

Carol Downs pointed out that elder abuse is far larger problem than is acknowledged.  In 1998 a report showed 1 million cases, 2.2 million if you add self-neglect.  More than half of the abuse is from family members and 2/3 of the abused are women.

Downs named 7 types of abuse:  physical, emotional, psychological, neglect, financial exploitation (on the rise, particularly phone scams), sexual and abandonment.

More information and a resource directory for older persons can be found on their website above.  The website also has links to NIH Aging website.


Pat Villani, Washington DC Area Geriatric Education Consortium. Pat's organization started with a 13 million dollar grant.  They work to educate health care providers about the issues relevant to aging.

Pat emphasized the issue of cultural and economic diversity among the aging.  She pointed out that many excellent books written on aging may not appeal women who did not grow up in a self-help culture.  Physicians on the other hand are rarely trained to be aware of diversity.  With the exception of geriatricians they may also not be trained to ask the right questions.

Pat cited the example of a retirement home which had 3 doctors, none of whom were geriatricians.  Geriatricians are trained to ask about support systems, mental health and to test for Alzheimers.

Pat emphasized the need for training health care personnel on the issues of aging and diversity.  They need to be made aware of the services out there to help their patients.  We need to continue to find research monies to fund this kind of outreach so that we can look out for ourselves and our elders.


Reverend Ida Blocker, Fairmont Tenants Association.

Reverend Ida spoke to the issue of cultural diversity.  She grew up in a dry-weather shack in rural Georgia.  While this reality may seem far away in the district, it is not.  Much of the housing is substandard, with holes in the ceiling and bad sewage systems.

Reverend Ida also addressed the need for health awareness in her community.  The black life span is 7 years shorter than the white one.  She emphasized the need for a healthy diet, meditation and love.

Reverand Ida closed by proclaiming "The best is yet to come."


Session 3:  The Politics of Aging



Mary Haney, Consultant on International Women's Issues, chaired session 3.  She notes that the Copenhagen 1980, Nairobi 1985 and Beijing conferences on women had nothing on older women.  She noted that in the what Gloria Steinham called "overdeveloped countries" we have taken a poor lead.  Older women are surving longer but are poor and the tradition of family care is dying.


Lisa Maatz, Public Policy Director, OWL. Lisa Maatz pointed out that all of the political issues of aging--social security, prescription drugs, violence, retirement, medicare, pensions and pay equity--are women's issues.

As Policy Director at OWL Maatz works to bring greater awareness of women to groups like AFT and AARP, and greater awareness of older women to women's organizations in general.

Some of the issues OWL is concerned with are:
 

How does OWL address some of these issues?  On Mother's Day, they organized a huge campaign to have prescription drug bottles sent by thousands of citizens to the hill.  The bottles contained little hand-written notes attesting to the need for more coverage and no rationing of care by HMOs.  Maatz emphasized the point that overall the way to get attention on the hill is to write a hand-written note as opposed to a card or a typed letter.
 
 

Ann Crowley, 2030 Center (no photo available).

Ann spoke of the need for intergenerational dialogue.  She represents a youth organization which is working to heighten awareness of social security and pensions among people in their 20s and 30s.   The audience expressed support of the idea of getting young people behind these issues.  The issues are not just older women's issues.  They are intergenerational issues.

Catherine Hill, IWPR.  In her second presentation, Hill said there needs to be continuing research and advocacy on the issue of social security.  We again refer you to her report and to women4socialsecurity.org.


Conference Statement

At the end of the day, participants recognized both the universality and the specificity of the convergence of women and aging.

Like all people, older women desire a life of creativity, respect, dignity.

Like all people, older women desire a life of individual and collective autonomy and cooperation.

Like all people, older women desire a life in which the basic needs are guaranteed: secure and affordable housing; decent and affordable health care; ample and affordable food.

Like all people, older women desire public and private recognition of their essential goodness as human beings, as members of varied communities, and as individuals.

Like all people, older women desire a life not only free from violence but also filled with mutual peace, love and sharing.

These are the universals.

The Women and Aging Conference participants feel that we must all recognize the ways in which these universals are translated into specific rights and demands on the part of older women and of the communities in which they live.

Older women bear the richness of lives lived, the great histories of work, of caring, of building, of loving. We, all of us, need to find ways to recognize and formally as well as genuinely cherish those histories and those whose presence, words and deeds recount them

Older women bear the richness of the lives they live today, every day. We, all of us, need to safeguard the safety, security and equanimity of thos lives. These safeguards should protect older women from the structural violences of economic, political and cultural policies and practices, first, and should ensure and celebrate the economic, cultural and political health and well being of older women. After a lifetime of work, of caring, of living, no older woman should live in poverty, should live in fear of violence, should live in fear of the economic consequences of the health conditions or crises attendant to survival into the Third Stage.

We call for short term and long term actions.

In the short term, we call on the George Washington University to establish a University Commission on the Status of Women and Aging, at George Washington itself. The first step, and ever step thereafter, is education. This Commission should first look at the curriculum and the educational culture and climate at GWU as they relate to older women. This Commission should engage at the very least the same conjuncture of sectors: community activists, academics, policy analysts.

In the long term, we encourage the formation of a consortium to push for various universal  mandatory social insurance policies. We agree with Judy Norsigian. We should begin by working for a universal and mandatory health insurance programme.

In the interim, we call on ourselves to continue the process begun September 22, 2000, by organizing future Women and Aging Conferences, to continue to meet, to invest a full day once every two years. The first step may be education, but it must include ever widening conversations and dialogues.


Proposals

On September 22nd, we clearly saw that the issues relevant to "Women and Aging" cross generational, racial and socio-ecomic lines.  We also learned that dialogue between people of varying ages, races, classes, sexualities and genders illuminates our common bonds as well as injustices we can work to eradicate.  Here we invite you to share your feedback with us.  Following are some of the proposals we have already received.  The site will be updated periodically with your suggestions.
 


Some pleased audience members.