0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1950 2006 2025 2050

World

Africa

Asia

Europe

Latin America

North America

Oceania

Share of 60+ years old in the world and in different world regions

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

1950 2006 2025 2050

World

MDR

LDR

Persons 60+ in the world, in more developed regions (MDR) & less developed regions (LDR)

0123456

1950-1955

1975-1980

2005-2010

2025-2030

2045-2050

80+

Overall

60+

Growth rate of overall world population and populations of 60+ & 80+ years old

Number of older persons to triple between 2010 and 2050

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

(in

mil

lio

ns)

Children 0-14 Older persons (60+)

05

1015202530354045

1950 1975 2005 2025 2050

0-14

60+

05

1015202530354045

1950 1975 2005 2025 2050

0-14

60+

World Developed Countries

05

1015202530354045

1950 1975 2005 2025 2050

0-14

60+

05

1015202530354045

1950 1975 2005 2025 2050

0-14

60+

Transitional countries Developing countries

Proportion of children (0-14 years) and older persons (60+)Proportion of children (0-14 years) and older persons (60+)

Developing countries ageing fasterAlmost 80 per cent of older persons will live in developing

countries in 2050

80%

64%

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1950 1975 2010 2025 2050

Developed countries Developing countries

Women are a majority of the older

population. The share of women increases with age.

60 or over

54%

Male Female

80 or over

65%

Male Female

Older women are more likely than men to live alone

0

5

10

15

20

%

Men Women

% of older men and women living alone

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

%

Men Women

% of older men and women married

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1950 1975 2007 2025 2050

World

MDR

LDR

Potential support ratio: world, more developed regions (MDR) &

less developed regions (LDR)

%

MIPAA and older women

• Para. 8

“Older women outnumber older men, increasingly so as age increases. The situation of older women everywhere must be a priority for policy action. Recognizing the differential impact of ageing women and men is integral to ensuring full equality between women and men and to the development of effective and efficient measures to address the issue. It is therefore, critical to ensure the integration of a gender perspective into all policies, programmes and legislation”

Central themes

• 12 (f)

“Commitment to gender equality among older persons through, inter alia, elimination of gender-based discrimination”

Priority Direction I: Older Persons and Development

• Objective 2: Participation of older persons in decision-making processes at all levels

• 22 (c) • “Take measures to enable the full and equal participation

of older persons, in particular older women, in decision-making at all levels

Issue 2 : Work and the ageing labour force

• Para. 25• “Factors affecting older women in the labour market

deserve special attention, in particular those factors that effect women’s engagement in paid work, including lower salaries, lack of career development due to interrupted work histories, family care obligations and their ability to build pensions and other resources for their retirement. A lack of family-friendly policy regarding the organization of work can increase these difficulties. Poverty and low income during women’s earning years can often lead to poverty in old age. An integral goal of MIPAA is to achieve age diversity and gender balance in the workplace”

Issue 3: Rural Development, migration and urbanization

• Para. 32

“….Older women in rural areas are particularly vulnerable economically, especially when their role is restricted to non-remunerated work for family upkeep and they are dependent on others for their support and survival”

Objective 2: Alleviation of the marginalization of older persons in rural

areas• Para. 33 (d):

• “Give priority to the empowerment of older women in rural areas through access to financial and infrastructure services

Issue 4: Access to knowledge, education and training

• Objective 1: Equality of opportunity throughout life with respect to continuing education, training and retraining as well as vocational guidance and placement services

(a) Achieve a 50% improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults

Issue 6: Eradication of poverty

• Para. 46 (summary of issues raised)• Institutional biases in social protection systems, in

particular those based on uninterrupted work histories;• Gender inequalities and disparities in economic power-

sharing, unequal distribution of unremunerated work between women and men,

• Lack of technological and financial support for women’s entrepreneurship,

• Unequal access to, and control over, capital, in particular land and credit and access to labour markets, as well as harmful traditional and customary practices.

• Female-headed households, including divorced, separated and unmarried women and widows are at particular risk of poverty

• Special protection measures are required to address feminization of poverty, in particularly among older women.

Objective 1: Reduction of poverty among older persons

• 48 (d):

“Ensure that the particular needs of older women, the oldest old, older persons with disabilities and those living alone are specifically addressed in poverty eradication strategies and implementation programmes.”

(e) Develop, as appropriate, and at all levels, age and gender-relevant poverty indicators….”

(f) Support innovative programmes to empower older persons, particularly women, to increase their contributions to and benefit from development efforts to eradicate poverty.

Issue 7: Income security, social protection/social security and poverty

prevention• Objective 1: Promotion of programmes to enable all

workers to acquire basic social protection/social security, including where applicable, pensions, disability insurance and health benefits

Para. 52 (b)

“Strive to ensure gender equality in social protection/social security systems.

Priority Direction II: Advancing health and well-being into old age

• Issue 6: Older Persons and disabilities

Para. 87:

“Incidence of impairment and disability increases with age. Older women are particularly vulnerable to disability in old age due to, inter-alia, gender differences in life expectancy and disease susceptibility and gender inequalities over the life course”.

Objective 1: Maintenance of maximum functional capacity throughout the life-course and promotion of the full

participation of older persons with disabilities

• Para. 90 (a)

“Develop, as appropriate, gender and age-sensitive national and local policies, legislation, plans and programmes for the treatment and prevention of disabilities, taking health, environmental and social factors into account

Priority direction III: Ensuring enabling and supportive environments

Issue 2: Care and support for caregivers

Para. 102 “….The cost to women, in particular, who continue to

provide the majority of informal care, is now recognized. Female caregivers bear the financial penalty of low pension contributions, because of absences from the labour market, forgone promotions and lower incomes. They also bear the physical and emotional cost of stress from balancing work and household obligations. The situation if especially demanding for women with both child and elder care responsibilities”

Para 103.

“In many parts of the word, especially Africa, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has forced older women, already living in difficult circumstances, to take on the added burden of caring for children and grandchildren with HIV/AIDS and the grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. At a time when it is more normal for adult children to look after their ageing parents, many older persons find themselves with the unexpected responsibility of caring for frail children or with the task of becoming sole parents to grandchildren.”

Objective 2: Support the care giving role of older persons, particularly older women

Issue 3: Neglect, abuse and violence

Para. 108:

“Older women face greater risk of physical and psychological abuse due to discriminatory societal attitudes and the non-realization of the human rights of women. Some harmful traditional and customary practices result in abuse and violence directed at older women, often exacerbated by poverty and lack of access to legal protection.”

Para. 109

“ Women’s poverty is directly related to the absence of economic opportunities and autonomy; lack of access to economic resources, including credit, land ownership and inheritance; lack of access to education and support services and their minimal participation in the decision-making process. Poverty can also force women into situations in which they are vulnerable to sexual exploitation.”

Objective 1: Elimination of all forms of neglect, abuse and violence of older

persons

Para. 110

(b) Abolish widowhood rites that are harmful to the health and wellbeing of older women.

(f) Minimize the risks to older women of all forms of neglect, abuse and violence by increasing public awareness of, and protecting older women from such neglect, abuse and violence, especially in emergency situations.

Issue 4: Images of ageing

• Para. 112

“….Older women are particularly affected by misleading and negative stereotypes: instead of being portrayed in ways that reflect their contributions, strengths, resourcefulness and humanity, they are often depicted as weak and dependent. This reinforces exclusionary practices at the local and national levels.”

Objective 1: Enhancement of public recognition of the authority, wisdom,

productivity and other important contributions of older persons

Para. 113 (h)

“Promote a positive image of older women’s contributions to increase their self-esteem.