In this session, "Ageism: the discrimination we don’t see", we will be hearing from Gohar Yazdabadi, Chief Executive Officer of Council on the Ageing New South Wales (COTA NSW).
Ageism is one of the most pervasive and often overlooked forms of discrimination affecting older people in Australia and globally.
In this Lunch & Learn webinar, Gohar will explore how ageism shows up across our communities, systems and everyday interactions, and how it connects with loneliness in later life.
She’ll explore the prevalence of ageism, including key statistics that reveal its scale and persistence, and how ageist assumptions shape the way we think about loneliness among older people.
Gohar will also examine who perpetuates ageism, from individuals to institutions, and reflect on how these attitudes and behaviours can become normalised.
The session will consider loneliness in later life, why it occurs, and how social attitudes and systems can unintentionally deepen isolation.
This session will:
highlight key data on loneliness and the prevalence of ageism
examine who perpetuates ageist attitudes and behaviours
unpack the real impacts on older people’s health, wellbeing, access to services and human rights, including the role loneliness and ageism can play.
Importantly, this is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and ‘hold up a mirror’ to the assumptions we may not always recognise. And even more importantly, reflect on how we can all contribute to more respectful, inclusive responses to ageing and to reducing loneliness in our communities.
Our Presenters:
Gohar Yazdabadi, Chief Executive Officer. Council on the Ageing NSW (COTA NSW)
Gohar is a values-driven leader with a strong commitment to social causes and making a positive impact on her communities. She is passionate about enabling better outcomes for older people in NSW.
Prior to joining COTA NSW, Gohar honed her skills in policy and advocacy through senior roles in federal and state government as well as the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. Her career reflects a passion for inclusive policymaking and collaboration, with the goal to influence social policy development for the most vulnerable in our community, and our society as a whole.
With extensive experience in shaping evidence-based policy development and a proven track record of driving systemic change, Gohar is committed to improving the lives of older people through working together to understand their unique needs.
Gohar holds a Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and Master of Laws. She is also a peer-reviewed published author.
Our moderator
Claire Van Heyningen, EAAA Board Member, Elder Abuse Action Australia
Claire brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, and community engagement, with a strong focus on making a positive difference in people’s lives. She is currently the General Manager of Marketing and Communications at MTC FutureReady, where she helps lead programs that support people to build skills, confidence, and brighter futures.
Claire’s career has taken her from creative agencies where she led award-winning campaigns to the not-for-profit sector, where she has worked on projects supporting inclusion, wellbeing, and access to services like the NDIS. Her work blends creativity and strategy with a deep commitment to social justice.
Claire holds a Graduate Certificate in Management and is currently completing a Master of Business Psychology. She has also completed the Foundations of Directorship course through the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a Social Impact Fellow through the Social Impact Hub.