“Women’s Career for a Lifetime”
Project of the AWCDH
to empower Older Women
in Decision Making and the Media
by Andrea Ferenczi,
President
of the Association for Women’s Career Development in Hungary
Roundtable titled “Women and Ageing – Older Women Count”
4 November 2014
Palais des Nations Geneva
Geneva NGO FORUM – Beijing +20 UNECE Regional Review
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THE ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN'S CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN HUNGARY (AWCDH)
FOUNDED IN 2003
OUR GOALS
- to help promote women’s equality
• by working with and fostering the cooperation between organizations dealing with women’s issues
• by taking an active role in the formulation of a common platform
• and helping to promote equal opportunities for women
• active in all major sectors of life
- to advance the dialogue
• between legislation, government, the profit and non-profit spheres, higher education,
and all potential stakeholders of AWCDH
• in order to meet economic, social, cultural and educational challenges.
- Representation of the interest of special women’s groups as employees such as:
• integration of fresh graduates into the labour market
• inclusion and/or continued employment of women returning from maternity leave
• support of the careers of women above 50
• improving employment chances of women with disabilities
• women’s employment in the ICT sector
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WE ADOPT
all positive foreign best practices within a Hungarian framework
WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT
exemplary Hungarian practices abroad by utilizing our network
within the European Union and the United Nations
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
to cooperate in the work of UN/ECOSOC as the first Hungarian NGO with “Special consultative status with
UN-ECOSOC”, gained in 2009.
This circumstance makes our cooperation in the fields of European relations and global issues
like gender equality, women’s rights and women’s employment more effective.
THINK TANK
The dedicated members of AWCDH, well trained professionals in their respective fields, are putting their
knowledge and expertise in the service of the goals set by the Association.
A Forum of knowledge transfer with the participation of organizations interested in an increase in employment
and the realization of gender equality (EU, government, economic and non-profit sector, scientific sphere, media) as
a basis for an increase in women’s employment and a more characteristic representation of gender equality, thus
contributing to the expansion of the labour market, its greater effectiveness, and the strengthening of economic
competitiveness.
The AWCDH formulates and publicizes its views regarding women’s employment on Hungarian, EU and UN
levels.
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OUR STRATEGIC PROJECTS
I. EU Project
The Association for Women’s Career Development in Hungary has been implementing
the „TRAME-Transferring Competencies through Self-Narration and Mentoring Process” Project
(hereinafter called „the TRAME Project”) based on its winning proposal
for the Lifelong Learning Program – the Grundtvig Adult Education Program of the European Union
with German, Turkish, Irish and Maltese partner organizations
between August 2013 and June 2015.
II. Foundation of Awards
“Women’s Career Lifetime Achievement Award” founded in 2013 for the 10th Anniversary of the AWCDH
Best Workplace for Women Award” founded in 2007
“Award for Women’s Equality” founded in 2007
“Local Governments for Equality Award” 2005/2006
III. Organization of Conferences
The AWCDH has organized over 30 international conferences as well as
many meetings and workshops since its foundation.
IV. Websites in Hungarian and English
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OUR ORGANIZATION
90 members
(yearly max. 5 candidates are awarded membership)
7 board members
Articles Association: www.womenscareer.org
Representation in all regions of Hungary
International representations: EU, UN
USA, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, UK, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Israel.
Chapters:
Local governments and Regional Development, Youths, Ageing, Disabled, Education,
Corporate, Media, Sport, Culture, Health, Tourism, International Relations.
Tom Lantos Memorial Committee
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THE “WOMEN’S CAREER FOR A LIFETIME” PROJECT OF THE AWCDH
SINCE 2009
RATIONALE FOR THE PROJECT
The issue of demographic ageing in Hungary
The proportion of older people is growing, and the state of their health is poor.
Life expectancy of women outstrips that of men by 6-7 years. (72-78,8)
It is of paramount importance that we draw the awareness of women to the need to continue living
active and healthy lives.
Older Women in Decision making
Compared to their number and their potential older women’s participation in economic and social decisionmaking is not significant yet.
The main reason might be that most of them consider themselves as losers of the change of regime of 19891990, their self-esteem has diminished.
The stakeholders have not paid attention to this group yet, who represent large reserves and potential in the
long run.
Their skills and competence need to be updated in order for older women to become a pull factor in
society.
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Where do Older Women take an active role?
In rural development:
cementing rural communities, in boosting local economies, in helping to sustain development and in the
preservation and proliferation of culture and traditional family values
In small local governments they have a chance to take up (non-lucrative) positions
In the family businesses and family decision making:
In the field of business in Hungary, in a large number of small and family businesses, these women can
survive as active entrepreneurs or provide the background for the members of their families.
In the family:
They have an important role in the family.
They care for their families, for their children, their parents and grandchildren.
The play an active role in family decision making,
especially in terms of family consumption, use of services, and household management.
Compared to average Hungarians, they are stable consumers.
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Older Women in the Media
Older women are strongly underrepresented in the media.
Perception and Reality
• We get older, older men are more charming …
• As a labor force our competitiveness is declining
• As consumer we are not in the focus, the ads do not call to us
Typical Appearance of Older Women in the Media
• as pensioner
• as grandma
• as caring housewife
• as possible consumer:
of senior homes
of food and goodies for the family
of medicines and health products for older people (like “Corega”)
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THE AIM OF OUR WOMEN’S CAREER FOR A LIFETIME PROJECT
To give older women, the baby-boomers generation and tomorrow's older women the opportunity to:
• stay in the workforce and share their experience
• keep playing an active role in society, participation in volunteering
• to prepare consciously for a longer, healthier and more meaningful life.
Those societies where knowledge and life experience are valued assets, the older people are more involved in the
decision making process.
To learn best practices, exchange of experiences:
The AWCDH has relevant domestic as well as international experience.
We have ongoing cooperation with Older Women Europe and AGE Platform Europe, as well as Slovakian, Polish and
US NGOs in order to help ensure equal opportunities and to help expand the activity opportunities of elderly women.
To strengthen the general understanding, approach, acceptance and inclusion between participants coming
from different countries, who will subsequently popularize and make use of the information gained at the conferences in
their respective countries and closer communities through both formal and informal channels.
To establish good media relations
• The media has an important role in presenting older women as a valuable but discriminated group and in calling
attention to the need to support their participation in the labor market as well as their vital role in the family and all fields
of society.
• We need to introduce interesting, valuable issues and role models and we have to identify those media which
find our activities worthy of dealing with. We also have to find those women in the media who are interested
or even personally involved in the issue.
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Our Tasks:
To raise awareness of the need to support participation of women above 50 in the labor market
and to call attention to the importance of the role of older women in the family as well, because these women, popularly
called the “sandwich generation”, must continue to care for their children on the one hand, and their parents and
grandchildren on the other.
Activate, motivate
It is of vital importance that older women should not write themselves off, but recognize that they have an indispensable
role in the labor market, society as a whole, and in the lives of their families.
But the feeling of being needed, the "feeling of usefulness” calls for lifelong learning, self-improvement, and motivation.
Honor and involvement, as long as possible
There exists in Hungary a highly skilled professional and competitive group of 50-60 + women and men especially in
the fields of science, economy, culture, etc. who are willing and able to continue their contribution to their fields of
knowledge and competence. Their recognition, appreciation, proper remuneration and inclusion in economic and social
development should be of first priority!
To raise awareness of the shortage of labor to be expected in the labor market in the long run
Due to the demographic problems and the migration of young people to the West:
• Qualified and experienced people will be needed especially in the fields of engineering, healthcare, IT and other fields
requiring special skills.
• Due to a lack of skilled labor, lower-skilled older women will also be needed in the labor market, mainly in the social
care system (hospitals, elderly care, schools, family support, etc.) where volunteering will have to be much better
organized.
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OUR BEST PRACTICES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK
OF OUR WOMEN’S CAREER FOR A LIFETIME PROJECT
Extensive Cooperation and Task Force:
Our Team of Experts:
Mrs. Andrea Ferenczi: employment, active aging, UN and EU relations
Dr. Valéria Farkasné Molnár: legislations, parliamentary relations
Mrs. Gyöngyi Fazekas: self-care, insurance, safety
Mrs. Katalin Hajós: media
Mrs. Ildikó Mária Haraszti: aging, andragogy, gerontology
Ms. Ildikó Modláné Görgényi: education, training, research
Judit Szöllősy: culture, US relations
We involve:
- women and men of all ages who wish to prepare consciously for a longer, healthier, and more
meaningful life.
- following stakeholders and sectors:
Government, Parliament, local governments, NGOs, media, universities and colleges, commercial and
agricultural chambers, corporations, trade unions, employees, rural and regional organizations, professional
and tourist organizations, researchers, experts, farmers, producers, diplomats, doctors, artists, social
workers and institutions, employment experts, EU and UN experts, as well as other interested in these topics
from Hungary and abroad.
Our Best Workplace for Women Award (since 2007) ensuring direct corporate network
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Events
Where 5 generations came together
We have so far organized the following international conferences in the frame of the “Women’s Career for a Lifetime” Project
The Themes:
Employment, lifelong learning, the situation of rural women, cooperation between generations and communities, the importance of
preserving women’s wellbeing, health, women’s self-care, sustainable lifestyles, life values, family models, the role of the media.
In 2014
“International Cooperation for Women Above 50” Conference organized in cooperation with Older Women’s Network (OWN),
Europe within the frame of the “Women’s Career for s Lifetime” Project of the AWCDH on 31 May 2014 in the Rubin Wellness &
Conference Hotel, Budapest.
in 2013
• European Cooperation for Women Above 50 – Lessons learnt during the “EU-2012 Year of Active Ageing and
Solidarity between Generations” on 7 March 2013 in the Rubin Wellness & Conference Hotel, Budapest
in 2012 – organized in honor of the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations:
• Indian Summer Gathering, Consultation on Progress: Older Women’s Issues in the UN and the EU
Women’s Career Club Meeting in the Rubin Wellness & Conference Hotel, Budapest on 22 September 2012;
• “Health, Beauty, Security” international conference held on 28 June 2012 in the Rubin Wellness & Conference
Hotel, Budapest;
• “Women’s Careers for a Lifetime”, a joint conference of the AWCDH and the Figyelő (Observer- Business weekly)
as well as the Családi Lap (Family Magazine) held on 28 March, 2012 in the Budapest Hilton Castle Hill.
in 2009-2010
• “Women’s Careers above 40 and 50” International Conference held on 20 November, 2010 in the Gerbeaud House, Budapest;
• “Women’s Career for a Lifetime” International Conference held on 21 May, 2009 in the Hungarian Parliament.
Workshops, trainings, consultations – ongoing
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Our Media Relations
We realized that the media has an important role in presenting older women as a valuable but discriminated group and in
calling attention to the need to support their participation in the labor market as well as their vital role in the family and all
fields of society.
Due to our international background and expertise we have started to deal with older women as active participants in society
with an eye on international perspectives and within the framework of our Women’s Career for a Lifetime project.
Thanks to our contacts with organizations, major among them OWN, AGE, UN organizations, as well as professional
relations and an active network of involved friends we have organized international conferences and invited foreign experts
and role models from home as well as abroad enabling us to call the attention of the media to our activities.
What can we do?
• We need to introduce interesting, valuable issues and role models and we have to identify those media which find our
activities worthy of dealing with.
• We also have to find those women in the media who are interested or even personally involved in the issue.
• We can create our representation on the Internet.
What can women do?
• We have to emphasize that women above 50 and 60 must also do their share in creating the desired positive image:
• They have to train themselves constantly, keep themselves up-to-date, and appear in active roles.
• They must also be on good terms with themselves, with the younger generation and the world at large.
Our best practice
We have established a network of journalists specializing on economic and women’s issues:
We are keen to keep the media informed and educated, especially our selected contacts.
We are calling their attention to trends in the world and deliver them first hand news which could indirectly affect domestic
politics and the economy, such as the aging population, employment, sustainability, cooperation of generations,
and….first of all: the plight older women…
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Our accomplishments:
About 700 participants in our international conferences
Hungarian and International Expert, Trainer and Speaker database
Acknowledgments, invitations
(E.g. A.F.: Member of the National Level Steering Board of the National Smart Specialization (S3) Strategy)
Videos, presentations, research and surveys
Operation and Development of Internet networking
Stronger presence in the media
Introduction of AGE Platform Europe and OWN Europe in the Hungarian media
Our professional network:
UN: ILO, WHO, FAO, UNECE, UNESCO
EU: EP: Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
AGE Platform Europe, OWN Europe, Polish, Slovakian and US NGOs
In Hungary:
National Assembly Committee on Employment and Labour, National Council on Ageing, Ministries, Local Governments,
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungarian Labor Inspectorate, EBH - Equal Treatment Authority, National Institute for Food
and Nutrition Science, Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO) Demographic Research Institute, Gerontology Science
Coordination Center, Faculty of Health, University of Debrecen, Hungarian Scientific Association of Rural Health, Crime
Prevention Department of the Hungarian National Police, Magyar Vöröskereszt (Hungarian Red Cross), MGYOSZ (Confederation
of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists)
Embassies
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Corporate Partners:
Bakonyi Erőmű (Bakony Power Plant), BP European Business Service Centre,
ELMŰ (Budapest Electric Works), FŐGÁZ (Budapest Gas Works)
CISCO, Citi Bank, GE, Microsoft, Procter&Gamble, SAP, Vodafone
Non-profit Partner:
Szépkorúak Idősek Otthona (Nursing Home, Süttő)
Media Partners:
Axel Springer Magyarország,
MediaCity Magyarország
Ringier Publishing Hungary
Sanoma Media Budapest
Hungarian Public MR1 Kossuth Rádió
Hungarian Public TV Channel M1
TV2 commercial TV
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As a result of our efforts of the past 10 years,
by long term strategic thinking and hard work
we have ensured that our stakeholders, including the media
should appreciate our cooperation and working relation and consider us
as a reliable and credible professional source of information
on women’s and older women’s employment issues.
GET IN TOUCH WITH:
Mrs. Andrea Ferenczi
President of the Association for Women's Career Development in Hungary
Board member of OWN Europe
Ugron Gábor u. 28.
H-1118 Budapest, Hungary
Phone: +36 1 319 5245 • Mobile: +36 30 982 7093 • Fax: +36 1 319 2017
E-mail: ferenczi@t-online.hu
www.womenscareer.org.
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AWCDH in the Media
The Hungarian and international media regularly publishes reports about our activities,
while our members are often interviewed as experts in the national media.
Coverage in 2013: 13 Radio interviews, 4 Presence on TV, 100 Presence on Internet
Our regular
media partners:
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