The experiences of older lesbians in Europe have been largely invisible in research and society, with little attention paid to their financial situation, access to healthcare and housing, and the impact of discrimination on their lives. EL*C’s groundbreaking report “Making the Invisible Visible: an analysis of older lesbians’ lived experiences” seeks to address this gap by providing qualitative insights, recommendations for policy makers and service providers and by reflecting on the historical circumstances, intersecting discrimination and misconception that influence the decision making of authorities and service providers.
The report highlights the limitations of the FRA 2019 LGBTI survey in terms of not adequately representing EL*C’s target group, including lesbians aged 55+. It also notes that women are generally underrepresented in the data, and that the sample sizes for some countries are too small for quantitative analysis. The report employs a multi-methodological approach, including desk research, quantitative analysis of the FRA data, and qualitative interviews to analyze the experiences and needs of senior lesbians in the following European Union member states: Greece, Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Germany, Sweden, France, Spain and Portugal.
Financial insecurity is a major issue for many older lesbians, at the intersection of different societal phenomenona, with women in general tending to be in temporary, part-time or precarious employment, and LGBTI older persons at greater financial risk. Lesbian retirees and women-only households face heightened exposure to precarious employment, contributing to the gender pension gap and old age poverty. Patriarchal pension systems benefit men who were married, while senior lesbians struggle with financial insecurity and isolation.
Older lesbians also face discrimination in healthcare systems, with misogyny being a key factor. Discrimination impacts general health, with many senior lesbians facing unmet healthcare needs due to minority stress and exclusionary healthcare. Mental health issues, including depression, are common.
Housing is another area of concern for many older lesbians, with 19% experiencing difficulties in this area, which is higher than cis men of the same age range. Access to private property may be limited due to family rejection and marriage laws. Discrimination in care facilities is also prevalent, with many older lesbians fearing being forced to hide their identity. Senior lesbians often do not feel comfortable in “mainstream” senior spaces,may fear how others will react negatively and are therefore forced back into the closet.
Lesbian activists and their allies featured in this research have found solutions to the many issues highlighted in this research. Lesben und Alter, a lesbian organisation focusing on older lesbian in Germany, provides help and support, creates community and organises training for healthcare and longcare professionals. Individual activists and informal groups are very active in the EU. LGBTI, feminist and elderly organisations in Greece, Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic and Portugal are including a lesbian and gender-aware perspective in their work.
Many older lesbians have had to face systematic discrimination and violence in their lifetime, both in society and within their families of origin. Thus, they were obliged to mobilise resources, find creative solutions and develop strong intergenerational networks to cope with this situation and with unwanted loneliness. Much more can be done, and it is now time that older lesbians are supported in this endeavor. For this reason, the report highlights the need for more actions from public authorities and academic institutions.
Read the full report: Making the Invisible Visible: an analysis of older lesbians lived experiences
EL*C is launching a call for tenders for services related to the research on the implementation of the anti-discrimination principle of the Istanbul Convention.
We are looking for candidates with:
- Demonstrated experience in conducting research on human rights standards, gender equality policies or LGBTI rights at national, European and international levels.
- Excellent data analysis skills, especially in analysis of legal text, policy and practices by public authorities.
- Demonstrated intersectional feminist background.
- Good understanding of current and past struggles of LBTI women and non-binary persons.
- Strong organizational, interpersonal, and project management skills.
- Sense of initiative and ability to be self-supporting, including ability to deliver under pressure and within tight deadlines.
- Excellent drafting skills and ability to render complex, technical and/or legal terminology understandable and communicable.
- Excellent English and excellent knowledge of another EU language.
- Good knowledge of an additional EU languages is a strong asset.
In order to apply please submit via email at ilaria.todde@lesbiangenius.org and by 26 March 2023 with the following documents:
➡ CV of the consultant detailing past and current professional experience 5
➡ The Technical proposal
➡ The Provider, shall also send a quote (Pro Forma invoice) and including: –
- the Service Provider’s name and address;
- its VAT number;
- the full list of services;
- the fee per type of deliverables (in the local currency, tax exclusive);
- the total amount per type of deliverables (in the local currency, tax exclusive);
- the total amount, tax exclusive, the applicable VAT rate, the amount of VAT and the amount VAT inclusive
- the budget should include all costs related to this consultancy, including for example travel costs.
All documents shall be submitted in English, failure to do so will result in the exclusion of the tender. If any of the documents listed above are missing, EL*C reserve the right to reject the tender.
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DOWLOAD THE CALL FOR TENDER: Call-for-tenders-Istanbul-convention
DOWLOAD THE TEMPLATE FOR THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: Technical-Proposal-Template_Istanbul
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Deadline: All documents should be submitted via e-mail to the following email addresses: ilaria.todde@lesbiangenius.org by 26 March 2023 at 23:59 CET
EL*C and IGLYO is launching a call for tenders for services related to the research on the needs and lived experiences of LBTIQ girls, young women and non-binary youth.
We are looking for candidates with:
- Demonstrated experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis with LGBTQI communities and/or other marginalised communities
- Demonstrated intersectional feminist background
- Good understanding of current and past struggles of LBTI women and non-binary persons
- Good understanding of LBTIQ girls and young women and non-binary youth
- Excellent data analysis skills, especially in quantitative data analysis
- Demonstrated experience in the implementation of quantitative data collection and creation of tools to disseminate such data (e.g. data explorers)
- Strong organizational, interpersonal, and project management skills
- Sense of initiative and ability to be self-supporting, including ability to deliver under pressure and within tight deadlines
- Excellent English
- Good knowledge of other EU languages is a strong asset
In order to apply please submit via email at ilaria.todde@lesbiangenius.org and ru@iglyo.com by 31 march 2023 (deadline extended) ̶2̶6̶ ̶M̶a̶r̶c̶h̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶3̶ with the following documents:
➡ CV of the consultant detailing past and current professional experience 5
➡ The Technical proposal
➡ The Provider, shall also send a quote (Pro Forma invoice) and including: –
- the Service Provider’s name and address;
- its VAT number;
- the full list of services;
- the fee per type of deliverables (in the local currency, tax exclusive);
- the total amount per type of deliverables (in the local currency, tax exclusive);
- the total amount, tax exclusive, the applicable VAT rate, the amount of VAT and the amount VAT inclusive
- the budget should include all costs related to this consultancy, including for example travel costs.
All documents shall be submitted in English, failure to do so will result in the exclusion of the tender. If any of the documents listed above are missing, EL*C reserve the right to reject the tender.
_______________________________________
DOWLOAD THE CALL FOR TENDER: Call for Tenders
DOWLOAD THE TEMPLATE FOR THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: Technical proposal template
_______________________________________
Deadline: All documents should be submitted via e-mail to the following email addresses: ilaria.todde@lesbiangenius.org and ru@iglyo.com by 31 March 2023 at 23:59 CET