Dr Maggie Kirkman discusses ageism and women’s mental health at Women’s Health Grampians meeting

^{16 December 2019}

Sexism, ageism and support for women to age well were key themes covered by Global and Women’s Health Senior Research Fellow Dr Maggie Kirkman when she was invited as guest speaker at the Women’s Health Grampians (WHG) annual general meeting, held in Ballarat, Victoria, on 20 November 2019.

Dr Kirkman said that while ageism occurred across the lifespan, her research into women’s mental health showed women want respect, they want to be treated as individuals, they want to maintain their independence and self-worth, they want good health care - and they want to break stereotypes about older women.

Dr Kirkman believes action can be taken at a grassroots level and says that language is both a powerful means of communicating ageism and sexism and a catalyst for change.

“It’s important not to ignore sexist and ageist comments. People might not be aware of the implications of what they say; starting a conversation can help to pave the way for change,” she says.

For example, we can challenge insults such as ‘Don’t be such an old woman.’ Even apparent compliments (‘You don’t look 70!’) hide a belief that women of that age should look decrepit. We can reply, ‘This is what 70 looks like.’

Coverage of Dr Kirkman’s talk appeared in Ballarat’s newspaper The Courier Mail, and the Wimmera Mail Times.