Observance of the 2011 International Day of
Older Person* was held in conjunction with the Department of Public Information (DPI),
on October 6 in New York. The meeting underscored the progress made in changing attitudes,
policies and programmes for older persons during the 10 years after the Madrid
International Plan of Action. However, the challenges an ageing population represents to all countries requires on going discussion and action at international and national level. In particular, the situation of older women and the ‘feminisation of ageing’ due to women living longer than men.
Madrid International Plan of Action:
The Madrid International Plan of Action on
Ageing was adopted at the Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid in 2002 and called for further changes in
attitudes, policies and practices at all levels and in all sectors in order to
respond to the opportunities and challenges of population ageing in the 21st
Century.
The Madrid Plan of
Action focuses on three priority areas: older persons and
development; advancing health and well-being into old age; and ensuring
enabling and supportive environments. It is a resource for policymaking,
suggesting ways for Governments, non-governmental organisations, and other
actors to reorient the ways in which their societies perceive, interact with
and care for their older citizens. And it represents the first time Governments
agreed to link questions of ageing to other frameworks for social and economic
development and human rights.”
Click here for more information to read the full document.
The Secretary-General in his message to the
DPI Briefing said:
“Over the last decade there has been
progress in the formulation of national plans of action related to ageing, including
the emergence of non-contributory pensions in some developing countries.
However, discrimination and social exclusion persists."
These issues are a priority for the
recently established General Assembly (GA) Open-ended Working Group on Ageing.
See SI UN Representative Carol Themm’s recent interview with Global Action on
Aging which discusses the working group and hoped for outcomes:
The Briefing also examined the implications
of the current shift in the world’s demographic profile and the roll of human rights as a vital instrument for social change. It also looked at the challenges
and opportunities of global ageing with special emphasis on how countries can
further implement the recommendations of the Madrid Plan of Action and reaffirm
human rights as essential for creating an inclusive society for all ages.
The Feminisation of Ageing:
The particular challenges facing older
women was highlighted by Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications
and Public Information, who spoke of the "feminisation of ageing" in his address:
“We are also seeing the feminization of ageing.
At present, women outnumber men by an estimated 66 million among those aged 60
years and over. Among those aged 80 years or over, women are nearly twice as
numerous as men, and among centenarians women are between four and five times
as numerous as men. The single most pressing challenge to the welfare of older
persons is poverty. The situation of older women requires special attention.”
Gender
inequalities affect access to education, employment, health care and other
welfare services at every stage of life. These inequalities become harder to
rectify as you grow older and so many older women lack the resources, social
support and legal protection to access such opportunities and services. Furthermore,
women tend to live longer than men and are also more likely to live alone. As a
result, older women are more likely than older men to experience poverty.
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stated in 1999, during the International
Year of Older Persons, “Women comprise the majority of older persons in all but
a few countries. They are more likely than men to be poor in old age, and more
likely to face discrimination.”
Demographic Shift: ‘Ageing’ to ‘Aged’ Population Structures
According to the UN Population Fund
(UNFPA), there are approximately 740 million persons world-wide aged 60 years
and over. This figure is likely to reach one billion by the end of this decade
and possibly two billion by the mid 21st Century. This is an issue which will
continue to be debated at international and national level over the coming years,
and an issue which will continue to be of particular concern to women
worldwide as we look at how to best meet the needs of older women.
*The International Day of Older Persons
was adopted by the GA, Resolution 45/106 on December 14, 1990 designating October 1st as the International Day of Older Persons
(IDOP).
Reported by Katherine E. Mayer
SI UN Representative New York
Parts of the above were taken from
background papers given at the briefing.