Celebrating older women and promoting respect in Ballarat: #TheBiscuitTin Project

The City of Ballarat, in partnership with Ballarat Community Health, is proud to bring the #TheBiscuitTin project to our community and to share the Older Women’s Recipes for Respect resource

Developed by Celebrate Ageing, this initiative aims to challenge the disrespect and inequalities often experienced by older women and to celebrate their invaluable contributions to society.

Older women make valuable contributions as leaders, academics, carers, CEOs, volunteers, mothers, aunts, mentors, and friends. Yet, their achievements are often overlooked. The Biscuit Tin project seeks to:

• Promote respect for older women
• Highlight their diverse contributions
• Address ageism and sexism
• Share stories that inspire change

Ten older women in Ballarat connected at a powerful workshop where they shared their personal stories and achievements, reflections on respect and representation, and insights into everyday experiences of ageism.

From this workshop, we created “Older Women’s Recipes for Respect – Ballarat”, a beautiful resource featuring portraits of local women holding biscuit tins, their favourite biscuit recipes and stories of how respect is shown in families, workplaces, and communities.

The biscuit tin is a symbol of care, warmth, and tradition. Each portrait features a woman holding a tin, alongside inscriptions of her contributions—honouring both her nurturing role and her broader impact.

Older women face significant inequalities:

• Financial hardship: 34% of single older women live in poverty; 60% retire without superannuation.
• Housing insecurity: Homelessness among older women rose 40% between 2011–2016.
• Violence and abuse: 28 women aged 55+ were killed in family violence in 2023.

These statistics highlight the need for respect, recognition, and reform. To explore the statistics and inequalities further visit genderlenselements.pdf

There is an urgent need to promote respect for older women and address the inequalities they experience. That’s what #TheBiscuitTin project and its Recipes for Respect resource sets out to do.

• Visit the project page: Celebrating Ageing
• Download Older Women’s Recipes for Respect
• Request a hardcopy:
  Call Ageing Well Services on 5320 5500
  Email: ageingwell@ballarat.vic.gov.au

Older women have shaped our communities through caring, leadership, and resilience. It’s time to recognise their value and ensure they are respected and supported.