StratAGEic Kick-off Meeting: Strategic litigation for the rights of older persons

The StratAGEic project partners met for the Kick-off Meeting, on 8–9 October 2025 in Brussels, setting the foundations for a European approach to using strategic litigation to challenge age discrimination.

The meeting opened with an introduction to strategic litigation and its potential to drive systemic change. Partners explored how carefully selected legal cases can go beyond addressing individual situations and help influence laws, policies and public debate. The discussion also drew on the experience of the disability rights movement, highlighting lessons that can be transferred to the field of ageing.

A key part of the meeting focused on the project's knowledge-transfer and capacity-building activities. Partners discussed the mapping of existing experiences, the development of training on strategic litigation and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as peer-learning activities designed to strengthen the capacity of organisations working with and representing older people.

The partners also planned the next phase of the project: experimenting with strategic litigation at national level, through online workshops, personalised coaching, peer support and national field visits. These activities will help organisations explore how strategic litigation can become part of their own work to challenge ageism.

Communication and dissemination were another important focus. The consortium agreed on common targets for reaching stakeholders, promoting the project's results and raising public awareness, including through media and social media. People Behind is leading the project's communication and dissemination work, including the development of the Guide on Strategic Litigation against Ageism in Old Age.

The Kick-off Meeting marked the beginning of a collaborative journey towards turning strategic litigation into a practical tool for advancing the rights of older people and creating lasting change in the fight against ageism across Europe.