Older Women and Learning
With the changing demographics in Canada, the needs of older women learners are becoming more pronounced. Women live longer than men and, contrary to stereotypes of decline and disease with increasing age, many women strive to maintain vital, active and engaging lives well into their later years. Research indicates that older people thrive better with a continued sense of control over their lives. For some women, the later years are their first opportunity to seek more education, to change or start careers, or pursue interests outside the family. At the same time, women in the over-50 age group have the hardest time finding employment. One workshop was presented under this theme.

The Four P's: Personal, Public, Professional and Political
Workshop facilitator Marie Munro, from Red Deer, Alberta, was introduced to the concept of the "crone" while completing her Masters in Education as a mature student. She has carried out research and written on the subject, and avidly encourages older women to reclaim the term as one of strength, power and wisdom. She recommended The Crone: Woman of Age, Wisdom and Power by Barbara Walker, as well as Celebrating Ourselves: A Crone Ritual Book, edited by E.M. Ward.

The demographics of age in North America are changing as the baby boomer generation ages. By July 2001, the projected population of women over 65 will be 8.59%; a lot more women than men survive into years over 85. These statistics mean that the need for services for older people, including adult education, will significantly increase; it also means that with greater numbers older women may have a louder voice and more clout. Older women may need to become more political and become active in organizations such as the Canadian Association of Retired People (CARP).

The four "P's" refer to four contexts of women in education: personal, political, public and professional. These contexts intersect and influence each other. Older women face not only sexism but ageism, yet can take a number of steps to counter the detrimental influences of such oppression:

• stay physically active
• maintain mental activity through games, crosswords, talk shows
• maintain a support network of friends and relatives of various ages
• socialize
• join groups
• become politically active
• be outrageous and self confident
• be a role model.

Educators can support older women who are returning to learning by:

• being a true facilitator
• building on the skills and experience older women already have
• providing women-only programs, especially in computers
• being role models as assertive, confident crones.

Marie Munro can be contacted at: rmmunro@telusplanet.net.

Supporting Women's Learning
This theme area is concerned with the support mechanisms necessary to enable women to participate fully in educational and learning opportunities. These may include childcare, financial support, transportation, flexible scheduling, counseling, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), and so on. Again expressed in this on-line discussion was concern for the disappearance of the "equity principle" in the devolution of training responsibility from the federal to provincial governments. If equity is no longer a principle for training or, education policy, supporting services needed by women will not be provided. Another main concern was for the supports necessary for women with disabilities. A workshop on the needs of women with disabilities was proposed for the conference but did not take place due to lack of registration. However, presenters from this panel were invited to host a discussion in the Saturday Open Space period. The workshops held under Supporting Women's Learning were: Models for Integrated Family Programming, and the Impact on Women Learners of Employment Insurance and Related Changes.