As part of Inner Sydney Voice’s programming for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (15 June), we spoke to Yumi Lee, CEO of the Older Women’s Network NSW, about her journey into activism, the importance of intergenerational solidarity, and why the language of ‘elder abuse’ can obscure the gendered violence faced by older women.
Personal Action: A Journey into Collective Power
“I grew up in Malaysia at a time when the government could use the Internal Security Act to detain individuals without trial indefinitely,” Yumi recalls. “This meant that political activism was not a pathway encouraged by families!”
It wasn’t until she moved to Australia in 1990 that, as she puts it, “the mongrel in me was unleashed!”
“I met a group of women…. all older!…. in Adelaide, who were active members of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). That was the start of my activist journey.”
Yumi’s work took her to Hanoi, where she supported women trafficked into the sex trade and worked with street children. In Kathmandu, she worked alongside women living in poverty. But when she returned to Australia in 2018, she was shocked by what she saw here.
“I was horrified to find that older women were falling into poverty in increasing numbers,” she says. “It was therefore fortuitous that the Older Women’s Network had an opening, and I have been able to work on women’s rights, which I am passionate about, but this time with a specific focus on older women.”
Organisational Action: Making Space for Older Women’s Needs
OWN’s advocacy has focused on two major issues: violence against older women and the right to safe, secure housing.
“We have been working to raise awareness of sexual assaults of older women, including in aged care,” Yumi explains. “Together with Dr Catherine Barrett, we’ve developed training resources for aged care providers which can be found on the OPAN website.”
On the housing front, OWN continues to call for systemic change, including the establishment of a specialist housing service for older people. But in the meantime, grassroots initiatives are already showing what’s possible.
“Our volunteers in the Blue Mountains have set up a great service called Homes for Older Women, where older women who are housing-insecure get paired up with accommodation offered by compassionate homeowners,” she says. “That project tells us that there’s a big demand, but the solution calls for political will (and funding!).”
The organisation also runs a Pathways to Employment program, free for older women to access. “That allows older women to earn an income. That is impactful on many levels.”
Community Action: Naming the Problem, Resourcing the Response
When asked how communities can better respond to violence against older people, Yumi is direct:
“Most of us no longer live where we grew up, making community-building harder. But this is a conversation we need to have, how can we build awareness of violence so we can recognise it and act?”
“This isn’t just about older people,” she adds. “It’s also about women and children. We must ask what supports are in place when we speak up. We know that services are stretched. Yes, we can publicise helplines like 1800 RESPECT or the Elder Abuse Hotline. But the real challenge is resourcing responses so that action is possible when someone does speak up.”
And for Yumi, one of the first steps toward action is calling the problem what it is.
“The abuse of older women should not be classed as ‘elder abuse,’ it should be called violence against older women,” she says. “The unique experiences of older women disappear under the term ‘elder abuse’. If you’re to look at services geared towards supporting women attempting to leave a violent relationship, these are designed more for younger women, not 75-year-old women.”
Structural Action: Reframing Ageing and Building Solidarity
At the heart of OWN’s advocacy is a challenge to structural ageism; in policy, culture, and within feminism.
“We live in an ageist society which demonises Boomers. Just look at the headlines about Boomers taking housing away from younger people,” Yumi says. “It is infuriating because there are at least 500,000 older women living in poverty who will never own a home.”
“These ageist narratives drive a wedge between younger and older generations, and between younger and older women.”
The anti-ageing industry, she adds, is part of the problem. “Younger women are taught to fear ageing, look at the billions being made from the anti-ageing industry.”
The solution? Intergenerational solidarity. “To build solidarity, we must dismantle ageism and challenge these messages. Intergenerational connection is vital, but we need to change the conversation to get there.”