Midlife is not a limit — it is a new beginning.
NGO “Sievietēm 50+” (For Women 50+) supports women in midlife and pre-retirement age in Latvia to stay active, confident and included — in the labour market, in the digital world and in civic life.
About us
“Sievietēm 50+” began as an informal community of women and was registered as an association (NGO) in Riga on 11 August 2023 (Reg. No. 40008327631). Today we have 20 members, and our activities reach a much wider circle of women 50+ and seniors.
We believe that midlife is a time when accumulated experience meets new ideas, creativity and the wish to live a full life. We give a voice to women in midlife and pre-retirement age and show society their strength, wisdom and value.
Our mission is to provide comprehensive support to women aged 50+, promoting their civic participation, lifelong learning, digital and economic inclusion, mental well-being and intergenerational cooperation.
Our vision is a cohesive, safe and inclusive society in Latvia, where women aged 50+ are civically active, digitally equipped, and valued in the labour market and in community leadership.
Our Strategy 2026-2028
Our medium-term strategy, approved by the Board in August 2026, focuses on four directions:
1. Civic participation and resilience Workshops and forums on civic rights, democratic processes and community self-organisation; strengthening critical thinking, media literacy and cybersecurity skills; intergenerational dialogue and volunteering.
2. Lifelong learning, digital skills and AI Training on e-services, AI tools, content creation and everyday digital tools; workshops supporting career change and small business for women in pre-retirement and retirement age.
3. Advocacy against ageism Representing the interests of women 50+ in dialogue with public authorities, municipalities and employers; policy proposals to reduce age discrimination and promote employment of people 50+; public campaigns sharing “stories of change”.
4. Organisational capacity and networks Growing our membership and volunteer base and building cooperation with NGOs, municipalities, community centres and educational institutions.
Our targets by 2028
- 300–500 women aged 50+ directly involved in our educational and civic activities across Latvia
- At least 2 policy proposals on the inclusion of the 50+ target group and digital support
- At least 2 national awareness campaigns
- 15–20 new members and volunteers
Current and Recent Projects
Senior School “Life Energy 65+: Learn. Move. Meet.” (October 2026 – July 2027)
A 10-month programme for seniors aged 65+, both women and men, in Riga. It combines learning, physical activity and social connection. Digital safety is an important part of the programme: it includes two sessions on cybersecurity for seniors (3 academic hours each) and a lecture by a bank representative on financial safety online.
The project is implemented under the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027, measure 4.3.3.3 “Support for social entrepreneurship and the development of the social economy”, supported activity “Support for senior schools” (project No. 4.3.3.3/1/24/I/001), administered by the Society Integration Foundation as a cooperation partner of the Ministry of Welfare of Latvia.
“Power of Experience: Women 50+ in Riga’s Labour Market and Entrepreneurship” (spring 2026)
The project aimed to strengthen the professional competitiveness of women aged 50+ through comprehensive training that reduces the risks of age discrimination and encourages entrepreneurship. We delivered two cycles of six sessions each, covering:
- Career: CV and LinkedIn audits, job interview simulations, labour rights
- Personal brand: skills inventory, self-presentation, business basics
- Digital environment: e-services, cloud tools, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence
The project also included a public panel discussion on generational diversity in the workplace, forms of ageism and how to address them, and the benefits for companies that hire experienced employees — with experts in diversity management, HR and recruitment.
Co-funded by the Riga City Society Integration Programme.
Our Social Enterprise: Re-Starts 50+
Re-Starts 50+ was born from the association’s work. We first joined a social enterprise accelerator as an association, and our founder then established Re-Starts 50+ as a separate company on 9 September 2025. It is legally independent from the association, but shares its goals, and its team comes from the association. Re-Starts 50+ holds social enterprise status in Latvia. Its mission is to inspire and support women in career transitions and new ventures.
Re-Starts 50+ runs online training for women 50+ on digital literacy and digital tools, career management, self-confidence and artificial intelligence, and is developing a digital career platform for women aged 50+.
Together, the association and the social enterprise combine community-based civic work with a sustainable, self-financing model of support.
Ideas for Cooperation
We are looking for partners from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Baltic States and other European countries. Our first ideas:
1. Mentoring and career support against ageism Women over 50 face a double barrier in the labour market — age and gender discrimination. We want to co-develop a mentoring and career support model that helps them stay in or return to work and community life, and that raises employers’ awareness of age-inclusive practices. We bring: experience from our “Power of Experience” project, online career training by Re-Starts 50+, and direct reach to women 50+ in Latvia. We seek: partners experienced in age-inclusive employment, mentoring or anti-discrimination advocacy.
2. Digital and AI skills for women 50+ Digital exclusion limits older people’s access to services, information and civic participation, and makes them more vulnerable to online fraud and disinformation. Our Senior School and labour market projects already include training on cybersecurity and online fraud prevention. Building on this, we want to co-develop a training programme on digital and AI skills for women 50+, with a strong focus on safe and critical use of online information. We bring: tested training on cybersecurity, e-services and AI for women 50+ and seniors 65+. We seek: partners working in digital inclusion, media literacy or adult education.
3. Learning visits and exchange of practice As a first step towards long-term cooperation, we would like to organise mutual study visits to inclusive employers and to organisations working with older adults in Norway, Iceland and the Baltic States. We bring: hosting visits in Latvia and connections with local organisations and employers. We seek: organisations ready to host or join a visit and share their practice.
Funding programmes we are interested in: EEA Civil Society Fund · Erasmus+ Adult Education (KA210 / KA220) · Nordplus Adult
Contact
Ingrīda Pērkone, Founder and Chair of the Board NGO “Sievietēm 50+” / For Women 50+ Riga, Latvia
E-mail: info@sievietem50.plus
Website: sievietem50.plus