Jo-Anne Cahill has used her decades-long diverse experience in theatre to raise the status of women through the Older Women’s Network Theatre Group. The group is unique in Australia in challenging prejudicial stereotypes and foregrounding the visibility, ability and contributions of older women.
Leading the group of women aged between 60 and 90, Jo has worked specifically to improve the status of older women through the messages imparted through the long running show, ‘Don’t Knock Your Granny’, highlighting elder abuse while projecting positive images of active and engaged older women.
Taking a theatrical approach to activism and advancing feminism, the group under Jo’s direction contests persistent stereotypes about older women. The role of the Theatre Group as a vehicle for ageing activists is central for Jo, and she actively embraces the feminist underpinning and history of the group.
