While feminism and social activism at various levels are attempting to bring sexual equality, there are cases of rampant exploitation stories of which come to light every day.
Theme of the International Women’s Day this year is “Accelerate Action.” This means removing all the barriers and moving fast so that full potential of women is achieved. The day reminds us of the struggles and fight back of all women, particularly the elderly ones who struggle against severe challenges they face all over the world. In the context of elderly ladies, it also implies accelerating actions so that they can live a life full of grace and dignity.
It is beyond doubt that in this male dominated world, women of all ages are victims of some type of discrimination or other. While feminism and social activism at various levels are attempting to bring sexual equality, there are cases of rampant exploitation stories of which come to light every day. This is not limited to sexual exploitation; there is all-round social manipulation of women in terms of physical dependency, professional discrimination, domestic violence, financial abuse among many others. This is not only limited to discrimination but also the facet of resilience and how ladies should handle these challenges. The elderly ladies, being physically and mentally vulnerable, are less equipped to fight the odds.
Special Case of Elderly Women in India:
As per the latest available statistics, the number of elderly women (60 plus) is around 71 million compared to 67 million males of the same age. Indian women over the centuries have suffered from discrimination in terms of all their basic rights. While in Vedic Period ladies used to enjoy the same rights as their male counterparts, over a period, for reasons not very much known, they had been relegated to “secondary status”. Things are, however, changing since independence and today women enjoy the same rights as their male colleagues. But still direct or indirect discrimination haunts the women, be it leadership position in corporate or recruitment / promotion in certain professions or decision making at various situations, etc.
Elderly women are no exception. They are found to be more dependent, socially excluded, and physically / mentally abused. Indian women, by tradition, do not speak out about neglect or abuse by their acquaintances or family members. Hence, real data is not available. But fact remains that women continue to be more neglected among the elderly population and it is high time we as a nation see the alarming reality. Situation is worse for the elderly women who are single or widowed as they face more difficult challenges. The study by UNDP (2008) says that in India 65 per cent of widows are more than 60 years of age; 28 per cent of them are only eligible for pension and only 11 per cent actual receive it. This shows the extent to which elderly women have financial problems in society. Research also points out that elderly women in different parts of the world, more particularly in India face triple problems: being “old”, “discriminated”, and “poor”. In many cases they may be poor despite having property / money as they do not have financial decision-making powers.
Women specific counterstrategies are need of the hour. These strategies and their implementation tools should be both at macro as well as micro level. Some of these could be:
- Justice System
- Pension System
- Specialised Elder Homes
- Medical Support System
- Social Activism
- Social Awareness
Justice System
Special courts for elder women abuse are need of the hour. There should be quick justice for elder women abuse cases with stricter punishments. Similarly, every police station should have a dedicated lady person responsible for welfare of elderly women within its jurisdiction. Every state should have a special legal redressal mechanism for elderly women.
Pension System
Since many elderly women, primarily those who are single or widows, suffer from serious financial issues, there should be special pension scheme both by the central as well as stage governments for older women.
Specialised Elder Homes
India needs a large number of women specific elderly homes in public / private sector. There are hardly any even in big cities. These should be free and / or highly subsidized.
Medical Support System
There is a need to create women geriatric counselors, nurses, and special beds for elderly women in hospitals. India has a serious shortage of medical and para-medical staff specialised in elderly women care.
Social Activism
NGOs that specialise in fighting for elderly women rights must come into existence. There are generic NGOs but there are hardly any that take care of specially the rights / problems of elderly women.
Social Awareness
We need to create special awareness campaigns at various levels of society like schools, colleges about special care, needs and problems of elderly women so that a socially sensitive society can be created.
However, at the end of the day, women must realize that they need to take care of their own destiny. What is needed is “strong resolve” and “mental power” to fight the odds. Once this happens and elderly women decide to fight their own battle with or without taking help from outside, half the battle is won against societal discrimination. The other half is the problems of age-related issues, both physical and psychological, will continue to be there and they need to be conquered.
The International Women’s Day is a reminder of reality and the need for change in the system. As majority of nations stand united in their approach of removing gender discrimination or biases against women, elderly women will be the main beneficiaries. However, they need to fight the odds with all the power of resilience they have at their disposal. They have in the past contributed to the growth of family and nation and they should continue to do so in their old age too. At the same time, it is also their right to get back from the society a conducive environment ideal for “happy aging”. That is the minimum expectation.
Author
Dr A K Sen Gupta is the Co-Founder and Chief Trustee of My Retired Life Foundation (MRLF). This article has been published in Free Press Journal (FPJ) on 23rd January 2025, where he is a regular contributor. Dr Sen Gupta was the Director of S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, and Director & Mentor at SIES College of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai. He was a World Bank Consultant and instrumental in setting up the National Banking College in Ghana, Africa.
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