WHITE PAPER ABSTRACT: Women and Aging

In this white paper, Soroptimist International of the Americas, working to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world, examines the issue of women and aging. The world’s population is now aging at an unprecedented rate. People today are living longer and generally healthier lives, representing the triumph of public health, medical advancement, and economic development over disease and injury. Worldwide, people aged 65 and over will soon outnumber children under age 5 for the first time in history. The majority of older persons (55 percent) worldwide are women, and while aging women face the same health, economic and social issues of all the elderly, they have more challenges unique to gender. These include concerns around health care; economic security; retirement; violence; housing and caregiving. This white paper examines those unique issues as they relate to the factors that influence women and aging, as well as the consequences thereof.  The paper also discusses the need to advocate for older women’s inclusion in policymaking to ensure that their particular perspectives and circumstances are considered and addressed, so that they are able to lead lives of dignity, activity and community involvement.

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