Cardigan Pride
Cardie Pride is an annual campaign responding to the gendered ageism experienced by older women - including the derogatory definitions of 'grannies' as 'cardigan wearing' (here)!!!!! Our aim is to promote respect for and solidarity with older women. By participating in #CardiePride you are helping raise awareness of the need to build a culture of respect for older women. Read more about how to participate - and the background issues below.
Cardi Pride has shifted to June to coincide with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and because winter is peak cardi weather.
Cardi Pride has shifted to June to coincide with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and because winter is peak cardi weather.
How to participate
Participation is simple: put on a cardigan, take a photo, share it on social media with the hastag #CardiePride and email us a copy to include in our gallery: [email protected]
Cardie Pride, 2026
We are delighted to announce our 2026 Cardi Pride event is an attempt at setting a Guiness Book of Records for Most Cardigans. The attempt will be part of our BluePrint on Respect for Older Women Forum on 2nd June, at the Savoy Hotel, Melbourne. More details coming on the Record attempt. Link to the WEAD event here
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Cardie Gallery
The inaugural #CardigePride event was hosted in the beautiful gardens of Como House, special thanks to The National Trust for hosting the event.
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The beginnings
In 2024, we asked community members and service providers to share examples of the representations of older women in popular culture. This Citizen Research explored the language and images used to portray older women in media and advertising. The results show significant ageist/sexist disrespect towards older women and this drives many of the inequalities they experience.
One small example is the term Granny, which is too often used to describe older women as greedy, fussy, irritating - and cardigan wearing! Something needs to change! Changing the word Granny is not an option - families and older women who are grandmothers tell us that being a Granny or having a Granny is a gift. We need to focus on changing the culture. That's what #CardiganPride sets out to do. To learn more, read our article in The Conversation (here).
One small example is the term Granny, which is too often used to describe older women as greedy, fussy, irritating - and cardigan wearing! Something needs to change! Changing the word Granny is not an option - families and older women who are grandmothers tell us that being a Granny or having a Granny is a gift. We need to focus on changing the culture. That's what #CardiganPride sets out to do. To learn more, read our article in The Conversation (here).
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In the Media
Thanks to the journalist and radio hosts who help us spread the word about the need for change, including:
- Radio: ABC Sydney Drive with Richard Adler, ABC Perth with Sue Peacock, ABC Melbourne with Dave O'Neil, ABC Darwin and Joy Radio for chatting about The Conversation article
Project partnerships
#CardiePride is an initiative of Celebrate Ageing Ltd, curated for the #Embolden2024 Festival. The 2024 campaign was a partnership with Suzanne Phoenix and was supported by Elder Rights Advocacy, the Older Women's Network NSW and ADA Australia.
More information and contact
For more information about #CardiePride please contact project coordinator Dr Catherine Barrett on 0429 582 237 or [email protected]. Please also check out our other projects building respect for older women: #TheBiscuitTin and #OlderWomenCount
