Balance for Better: Include older women in the equation

On International Women’s Day (8 March), gender equality is promoted and celebrated. This year’s theme #BalanceforBetter calls for a more gender-balanced world.

Why is there a need for such a day? Women experience gender-based discrimination throughout all areas of life, including school, work, and healthcare. This builds up across the life course to negatively impact their wellbeing, safety and security.

Today, older women continue to be left behind in the dialogue about gender equality across all sectors: employment, income, innovation, and health. To learn more about how gender and age intersect to produce inequalities in these policy areas, contact Dr. Pat Armstrong, who is an expert in fields of social policy, of women, work and the health and social services.

With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in mind, UN Women has adopted its own theme for this year’s International Women’s Day: “Think Equal, build smart, innovate for change.”

Innovations in sustainable infrastructure are required to enable and encourage people of all ages and genders to participate in society through employment and social and civic activities. Older women often face barriers to accessing infrastructure developments due to high costs, poor accessibility, or lack of tech skills. Get in touch with Dr. Ruth Finkelstein to learn more about how these developments can be more age-friendly while also being gender-balanced.

The IFA is committed to the protection of rights of older women around the world. The upcoming 63rd Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations Headquarters in New York this March will focus on social protection and sustainable infrastructure. Read the IFA’s statement to the Commission here.