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A/HRC/AC/4/CRP.1
4 December 2009
Human Rights Council
Advisory Committee
Fourth session
25–29 January 2010
The Necessity of a Human RightsApproach and EffectiveUnited Nations Mechanism forthe
Human Rights of the OlderPerson
Working paper prepared by Ms. Chinsung Chung, member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee*
* With the collaboration of Ms. Chanmi Kim. Special thanks to Bridget Sleap, Rights Policy Adviser at HelpAge International.
______________________________________________________________________
C. Ageing and Women: The Gender Perspective
21. Demographic figures have long
indicated that women tend to outlive men by two to eight years. Since female
life expectancy is greater than male life expectancy, the majority of the
elderly are women. Among the elderly there are 82 men per 100 women. Among the
oldest old, there are only 55 men for every 100 women. In the more developed
regions, the ratio of women to men is even more dramatic due to larger
differences in life expectancy. The ratio of men to women at older ages is
lower in the more developed regions (72 men per 100 women) than in the less
developed regions (88 men per 100 women).[1][1] In
22. Having more years added to
their lives often places them in the category of the most vulnerable, however,
due to patriarchal social constructs and historical gender based
discrimination. Countless analyses of gender differences in economic support
and well-being continue to highlight the globally disadvantaged position of
older women.[3][3] Women are usually in a
vulnerable position because of their reliance on family for financial and other
support. Due to low levels of education, poor labour participation in the past,
and lack of financial resources, many “older women today do not have their own
source of income nor do they have any marketable skills to generate income … As
long as the family continues to provide care and support, older women’s
well-being is relatively assured, but without this support, the well-being of
these women when they reach old age is of great concern.” For older women
without family support, this means having no income or a low income, and
ultimately a lack of access to adequate healthcare services.[4][4]
23. Women are therefore much more
susceptible to poverty than men, and this gap more than doubles during the
elderly years. In the
24. Furthermore, older women are
also particularly more vulnerable to abuse and violence. Many older women are
physically abused, either by their own children and daughters-in-law at home,
or in institutional settings such as staff workers or male residents in care
homes.[7][7] Research from
25. Women also require special
care. Elderly women, for instance, are more likely to suffer from depression
and remain depressed for longer periods of time than men, according to a 2008
Yale study. The study found that up to 20 per cent of the elderly suffer from
significant symptoms of depression — such as loss of appetite, sadness, or
sleep problems — that require treatment. Older women suffer disproportionately
more from depression, are more likely to become depressed, and less likely to
recover from depression. The fact that women live longer with depression than
men, “along with the higher likelihood of women becoming depressed and
remaining depressed, collectively contribute to the higher burden of depression
among older women.”[9][9] Women are also much more
likely to be widowed: roughly 19 per cent of elderly women live alone, compared
to 8 per cent of men.[10][10]
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[2][2] “One-in-four
asia-pacific/8266677.stm.
[3][3] For example, Mary Beth Ofstedal, Erin Reidy, and John
E. Knodel, “Gender Differences in Economic Support and Well-Being of Older
Asians,” Journal of Cross-Cultural
Gerontology 19, 2004.
[4][4] International Federation on Aging and HelpAge
International, The Rights of Older
Persons in Asia, January 2009, http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights/world/2009/humanrightsasia.pdf.
[5][5] Alexandra
Cawthorne, “The Straight Facts on Women in Poverty,” Center for American Progress, October 2008, http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/10/women_poverty.html.
[6][6] International Federation on Aging and HelpAge
International, The Rights of Older
Persons in Asia, January 2009, http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights/world/2009/humanrightsasia.pdf.
[8][8] HelpAge
[9][9] Older Women More Susceptible to Depression Than Older
Men,” Yale University Office of Public Affairs, February
2008, http://opa.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=1495.