International Day of Older Persons is celebrated annually on October 1 by the decision of the UN General Assembly since 1991.
The purpose of the International Day of Older Persons is to draw public attention to the problems of older people, to increase public awareness of the problem of the demographic aging of society, the individual and social needs of older people, their contribution to the development of society, the need to change attitudes towards older people, to provide older people with independence, participation in society, necessary care, conditions for the realization of internal potential and maintaining their dignity.
Over the past decades, the composition of the world’s population has changed dramatically. From 1950 to 2010, global life expectancy increased from 46 to 68 years and is projected to reach 81 by the end of the 21st century. Currently, there are an estimated 66 million more women aged 60 and over than men of the same age. Among persons aged 80 years and older, there are almost twice as many women as men, and among those who have reached the age of 100, there are four to five times more.
Around one billion people over the age of 60 live in the world. Between 2017 and 2030, the number of people aged 60 and over is projected to grow by 46%, from 962 million to 1.4 billion, outnumbering youth and children under 10. In 2018, for the first time in history, the number of people aged 65 and over exceeded the number of children under the age of five worldwide. The number of people aged 80 and over is projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050.
Growth in the number of older people will be fastest in developing countries. Asia will become the region with the largest number of older people, and Africa will experience a proportionate increase in the population of all age groups.
The world’s population is aging – an increase in the proportion of older people in the total population is observed in almost all countries. The process of population aging is becoming one of the most significant social transformations of the 21st century. This affects almost all sectors of society. Demographic aging affects labor and financial markets, the demand for goods and services such as housing, transportation and social protection, as well as family structure and relationships between people belonging to different generations.
Older people are increasingly seen as participants in the development process , whose ability to act for the benefit of themselves and their society must be taken into account in the design of policies and programs at all levels. In the coming decades, many countries will have to solve important problems in the field of health, pensions and social protection.
In Russia, according to Rosstat , as of January 1, 2022, more than 33 million people over 60 lived. The number of women aged 70 and over is more than double that of men.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation establishes that the Russian Federation provides state support for citizens of the older generation, develops a system of social services, establishes state pensions, benefits and other guarantees of social protection.
In 2016, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation, the “Strategy of Actions in the Interests of Senior Citizens in the Russian Federation until 2025” was approved, the result of which is the creation of conditions for the active longevity of older citizens, which will improve the level and quality of life of such citizens.
The main directions of state support for older citizens, provided for by the norms of the legislation of the Russian Federation, contain a system of legal, organizational and economic measures aimed at ensuring a decent standard of living, access to social services, medical care for geriatrics, drug provision, transport services, communications, the banking sector , information and communication technologies, equal access to basic and additional educational programs, feasible employment, guarantees in terms of conditions and remuneration, prevention of discrimination based on age in employment, creation of conditions for cultural and leisure activities, physical culture and sports.
The theme of the International Day of Older Persons 2022, “Resilience and the contribution of older women”, serves as a reminder of the significant role older women play in overcoming and contributing to global challenges.
While older women continue to make meaningful contributions to political, civic, economic, social and cultural life, their contributions and experiences remain largely invisible due to gender stereotypes that accumulate throughout life. In addition, discrimination based on age and gender exacerbates new and existing inequalities.
The theme of the International Day of Older Persons 2022, “Resilience and the contribution of older women”, serves as a reminder of the significant role older women play in overcoming and contributing to global challenges.
While older women continue to make meaningful contributions to political, civic, economic, social and cultural life, their contributions and experiences remain largely invisible due to gender stereotypes that accumulate throughout life. In addition, discrimination based on age and gender exacerbates new and existing inequalities.
Recognizing the vital contribution of older women and promoting their voices, perspectives and needs are critical to developing policies to strengthen the response to local, national and global challenges and disasters.
The 2022 theme has the following goals:
- —highlight the resilience of older women in the face of environmental, social, economic and other inequalities;
- —Raise awareness of the importance of improving data collection around the world disaggregated by age and sex;
- —urge Member States, UN agencies, UN Women and civil society to place older women at the center of all policies for gender equality, in line with the Secretary-General’s report “Our Common Agenda”.
In Russia, the holiday is called the Day of the Elderly and is celebrated on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation dated June 1, 1992 N2890 / 1-1 ” On the problems of the elderly “. On this day , free film screenings, various master classes, tea parties and other entertainment events are held.
Every year, on the Day of the Elderly, Russian regions make additional payments to pensioners. They differ depending on where the pensioner lives. In some settlements, everyone can be given gifts, in others, older people from a certain age receive a supplement to their pension. Payments are made by the Pension Fund of Russia.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from Novosti and open sources