We are living in an age of ageing, with a rapidly growing number of older people. Life expectancy has increased significantly over the past few years. Japan has nearly 100,000 people aged 100 or older - the highest in the world, with women comprising roughly 88% of this population. By 2050, the population of persons aged 60 and above is projected to grow to 2.1 billion (nearly one-fifth of the total global population).
"The rights of older people have been neglected for a long.
At best, they are treated as recipients of charity, rather than as an asset to
society. From my lived experience, I would like to reaffirm that we, the
so-called elderly persons, are not asking for mercy. We are asking for our long-overdue
rights. We need to be recognized - not as burdens, but as rights holders and as
vital contributors to families, communities, economies and public life. We do
not need shelter homes but the right to live a fulfilling life," said
Shobha Shukla, founder and leader of Development Justice for Older Persons
(DJ4OP) and host of SHE & Rights.
It is heartening to see that, finally, the UN has woken up
to this reality and started the process to draft a legally binding UN treaty to
protect the human rights of older persons (formally called the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Older Persons). Shobha Shukla was one of
those with lived experience when drafting of a legally binding treaty began
earlier this year.
This legally binding treaty would outlaw
prejudices - based explicitly on chronological age - in law,
employment, and society; guarantee older adults the right to make independent
decisions regarding their care and life choices; establish enforceable legal
frameworks to protect older individuals from physical, emotional, and financial
exploitation; ensure equitable, high-quality, and affordable physical and
mental healthcare; and protect access to pensions, financial security, and
inclusion in community life.
Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Council has established an
intergovernmental working group (IGWG) to draft this new international treaty.
While opening the intergovernmental working group meeting
in Geneva earlier this year, Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for
Human Rights, who is a senior citizen herself, had said that "meaningful
participation is essential. Older persons themselves- in all their diversity,
including older women, older persons with disabilities, those belonging to
indigenous peoples, minorities and rural communities - must be actively engaged
in this process. Civil society organizations, national human rights institutions,
and independent experts bring indispensable experience, data and insight. An
inclusive and transparent process will strengthen both the legitimacy and the
quality of the outcome."
The first session of this intergovernmental working group
is slated to be held from 13 to 17 July 2026 in Geneva.
Decade of healthy ageing
The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020- 2030) is another
global collaboration led by the WHO to improve the lives of older persons. In
fact, one of the agendas at the ongoing global meet of health ministers
(formally called the 79th World Health Assembly- WHA79 or WHA 2026) was a
report on the Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020–2030.
The WHO Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and
Communities also demonstrate a strong global commitment to improving
environments that help support older people to be and do what they value.
A special SHE & Rights session at Women Deliver
Conference 2026 in Australia focused on the issues related to achieving the
human rights of older persons, with a focus on women, indigenous peoples,
persons with disabilities, and other marginalized and vulnerable communities,
with a lifecycle approach.
“Ageism is one big elephant in the room. It includes
harmful norms, stereotypes, narratives and tropes against older persons. It
affects women more than men; less educated more than better educated. To be a
gender diverse person or a woman or one with a disability and to be elderly is
double trouble in many countries, including India, more so if you stand up
against ageism and do not fit into the norm. Subtle nuances of ageism abound in
every nook and corner and lurk where you least expect them - homes, society at large,
workplace, industry, healthcare facilities, media... the list is endless”, said
Shobha Shukla, leader of Development Justice for Older Persons (DJ4OP).
In Argentina, social protection for older persons is
fragile as it often lacks optimal resources, especially for healthcare, said Dr.
Mabel Bianco, a noted feminist leader and founder of the Foundation for Studies
and Research on Women (FEIM) and 2024 Director for Latin America and the
Caribbean, International Federation of Ageing (IFA). Dr Mabel agrees with
Shobha Shukla that harmful stereotypes like ageism block access of older
persons to sexual health services.
Dr Pam Rajput, Emeritus Professor, Panjab University,
India, and former Chairperson of the Government of India's High-Level Committee
on the Status of Women, shared her personal testimony of duty travels when she,
being a senior citizen herself, needs to travel via airplanes. One question she
is frequently asked is ‘if she is travelling alone,’ which stinks of harmful
stereotypes. Why is it difficult for people to comprehend that older persons,
especially women, may also travel for work? Unless we normalize economic rights
along with gender, social and cultural rights of older persons, especially
women, we would not be able to address ageism and the challenge which
population ageing poses.
In Indonesia, around 12% of the population is of older
persons (~35 million). By 2045, ~20% of the Indonesian population is expected
to be older persons. This means that protecting the rights, health and dignity
of older persons is not a ‘future concern’ but a present responsibility.
Persons with disabilities are twice as likely to face health problems”, said Dr.
Imran Pambudi, Director of Vulnerable Groups Health Services, Ministry of
Health, Indonesia.
According to Rita Widiadana, a senior citizen as well as a
senior journalist and editor from Indonesia, "It can be challenging to
live as an elderly person in Indonesia. For most women over 60, the challenges
are even harder. The society and the media, as well, often associate older men
with wisdom and rich experience, but elderly women are persistently portrayed
as caregivers who are vulnerable and frail rather than independent and
empowered individuals (and with wisdom and rich experience too)."
"It is unfortunate that media depiction of elderly
women negatively affects societal perceptions that contribute to various
discriminations in families, in the workplace and in daily life. It is high
time for us to recognise their social and economic contributions that they make
to their families, communities and to be included in a large variety of
national development programmes," added Rita Widiadana, former Editor of
The Jakarta Post and Board Member of Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health,
Gender and Development Justice (APCAT Media). Rita is also on the advisory
board of Development Justice for Older Persons (DJ4OP).
The word retired' reeks of ageism
"At the workplace, there is the age-related archaic
retirement system – the word ‘retired’ itself reeks of ageism. One does not
retire (except perhaps when she/he/they is perpetually bedridden) as long as
one lives. Yes, we do change our path and move in new directions. Instead,
there must be support systems in place to ensure that older persons can choose
with dignity and rights if they want to work or not, and age with rights,"
said Shobha.
Development justice needs to be a life-course
justice
Margaret Young, Founder of Age Knowable, and past Chair,
Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People (GAROP) said that “Development
justice is strongest when older persons are recognized, included, and
empowered. We speak often of gender justice, youth opportunity, and equity.
Every young person is moving through the life course. Every girl may one day
become an older woman. That means the rights of older women are not separate
from the rights of younger women. They are part of the same life course story.
Advancing the rights of older women strengthens gender justice across the life
course. Development justice also needs to be life course justice. Many
inequalities accumulate across life and become sharper in older age. Lower
earnings, unpaid care, widowhood, violence, isolation, and barriers to health
and participation."
Longevity is one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
Yet the promise of longer life is too often accompanied by gaps in the
protection of human rights. Instead of celebrating older age, most people fear
it, and ageism fuels this fear.
"We, the older people, have to make sure that
the lived realities of old age are adequately reflected in the proposed human
rights framework. Ageism and gender inequality must end with us,"
concluded Shobha Shukla.
