Elderly women face discrimination: Study

Elderly women in the country increasingly face "age discrimination, ageism, elder abuse and mistreatment" and this is due to high levels of lack of awareness of their basic rights, states a recent study.

The study "Gender Discrimination among Older Women in India" by Agewell Research and Advocacy Centre which works for the welfare and empowerment of the elderly surveyed a representative sample of 50,000 older persons (27,500 from rural areas and 22,500 from urban areas) spread across 330 districts of 26 states and union territories.

A separate study for Delhi found that cases of rights violation of elderly women within family is on rise in unplanned or semi-planned colonies of the national capital compared to those in its planned colonies.

As per 2011 Census there were approx. 6.5 Lakh elderly women in Delhi (approximately 51 per cent of total elderly population of Delhi). For the Delhi survey a representative sample of 5000 older persons (2750 from slums or unauthorised colonies areas and 2250 from planned colonies) were interviewed spread across 11 districts of Delhi between December 2014 and January 2015.

As per the nationwide survey, 89.38 per cent elderly respondents said that status of elderly women within their families is lower than male counterparts because of their gender. A total of 84.07 per cent elderly respondents acknowledged that dominance of elderly women is often denied in Indian families due to gender discrimination. Only 11.46 per cent respondents (8.2 per cent rural and 15.5 per cent urban) were of the view that gender discrimination does not matter, when dominance in family is adjudged.

Every second respondent (50.59 per cent) said that elderly women have to face marginalisation or isolation due to gender discrimination, even in old age. 52.84 per cent elderly men and 48.43 per cent elderly women agreed that gender discrimination causes marginalization or isolation of elderly women.

In rural areas more than half of respondents (55.24 per cent) also said that there is no link between marginalisation of older women and gender discrimination. With respect to healthcare, 43063 older persons including 22549 elderly women claimed that people don't care as much for them, properly as compared to male elderly in their families.

For Delhi, according to 86.13 percent elderly respondents, health of elderly women is neglected due to gender bias. Only 11.12 per cent elderly said that they did not agree with this fact as gender of elderly people is not related to their poor health conditions.

In the survey conducted by Agewell volunteers it was found that as per 80.49 per cent elderly respondents financial status of elderly women is weaker. Only 17.36 per cent elderly said that elderly women are financially not weaker but there is no relation between gender discrimination and their poor financial status. "When survey data was analyzed gender-wise, it was found that 79.79 per cent elderly men and 81.17 per cent elderly women said that financial status of elderly women is weaker because they are women and have fewer opportunities to earn their own income," Himanshu Rath Aggrarwal, founder Agewell said.

When data was studied further it was found that 70.24 per cent elderly respondents were independent financially whereas only 51.45 per cent elderly women were found financially independent, the survey said. As per survey data analysis, in urban areas the violation of legal rights of elderly women is more common, where 38.4 per cent elderly respondents expressed the same view.

In rural areas almost one fourth elderly respondents said that legal rights of elderly women are violated more often because of their gender. Out of 24,500 elderly men 9,548 respondents and out of 25,500 elderly women respondents 10,125 respondents said that human rights of elderly women are violated more in comparison to human rights of older men.

Most respondents said social or religious practices were responsible for incidences of gender discrimination in old age. "Out of 50,000 respondents, 7,410 respondents opined that our social and religious framework discourages gender equality and it continues in old age too. "Breaking up of joint family system and popularity of nuclear families was also adjudged as most common factor responsible for gender discrimination in old age with 7,094 elderly respondents marking this as no 1 factor attempted to identify responsible factors for elderly gender discrimination prevalent in Indian societies," the report said.

Sensitisation of younger generations was cited as top most measures among those surveyed as most appropriate measure to handle the situation. More legal provisions and laws, need for gender-based old age schemes and programs and encouraging traditional values besides a grass root level social security program for older women to protect their basic human rights are among the other suggested measures to improve the plight of older women.

According to the Global Gender Gap Report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2011, India was ranked 113 on the Gender Gap Index (GGI) among 135 countries polled. By 2013, India has improved its rankings on the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index (GGI) to 105.