In Pakistan, old age means being in the throes of joblessness, poor health, loss of control over life

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PEOPLE

Older peoples’ rights continue to be neglected; 11.6 million Pakistanis are over 60 years of age; figure will rise to 43.3 million by 2050

Islamabad

Pakistan has an extremely poor track record when it comes to addressing issues associated with human rights of older persons. It ranks depressingly low in the Global Age Watch Index: at 92 out of 94 countries. It has one of the lowest pension income coverage in the world. It ranks particularly low with respect to health of older persons, with a relatively low life expectancy and even lower healthy life expectancy. It ranks low also with respect to satisfaction of older persons with social connectedness, civic freedom and public transport.

October 1, which is recognized as International Day of Older People by the United Nations, is an occasion to raise awareness on population ageing and rights of older people so that they should have active, secure, healthy and dignified lives.

‘Take a Stand Against Ageism’ is this year’s theme for the observation. Ageism is defined as ‘stereotyping and discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age; ageism can take many forms, including prejudicial attitudes, discriminatory practices, or institutional policies and practices that perpetuate stereotypical beliefs.’ The purpose is to highlight how ageism manifests itself across the world and leads to the discrimination, stereotyping and abuse of older people everywhere. Stereotyping people because of their age is unacceptable and should change.

Evidence available in the Global AgeWatch Index, developed by Prof. Asghar Zaidi of Pakistan, working at the University of Southampton (UK) for HelpAge International, identifies contexts around the world where older people fare better and point-to-policy interventions that are effective in reducing their vulnerabilities.

Referring to the Global AgeWatch Index data reflected in the first paragraph of this news, Prof. Zaidi commented, “In the future, the continued increase in life expectancy will lead to an increasing number of old and very old people in Pakistan. As families and especially poor families will not be able to sustain older people for so many additional years, specialized research is required on how lives of older men and women are affected.”

In response to some of these issues, there is an urgent need for understanding the state of the human rights of older persons and developing policies to promote and protect their rights. The British Council in Pakistan is addressing this need through the study ‘Moving from the Margins: Promoting and Protecting the Rights of Older Persons in Pakistan,’ in collaboration with HelpAge International Pakistan, which is a global network working with and for older people.

Prof. Zaidi, who is the lead researcher of the project, went on to say, “People should not lose their human rights as they grow older. For example, it should not be acceptable to deny people the opportunity to work, or have access to healthcare services and education purely because of their age. Age discrimination should not affect negatively on older people’s access to humanitarian assistance and importantly on their ability to remain independent and in control of their own lives.”

The British Council research project will aim to provide evidence of what human rights are neglected in Pakistan for the older population and what policies and programmes are required, at the national and sub-national levels, to promote and protect the rights of Pakistan’s older population. “The challenges facing Pakistan are echoed around the globe and it is hoped the British Council study will provide valuable lessons for countries with similar issues,” said Prof. Zaidi.

Pakistan urgently needs to develop clear and comprehensive institutional arrangements for the protection of human rights of older people at the federal and provincial levels, including details of how research on older men and women and policy evaluation will be addressed by these institutions. Secondly, it needs to make progress on approving and implementing a comprehensive policy framework on ageing in Pakistan; this can be the approval and implementation of the National Policy on Ageing.

Thirdly, Pakistan can make progress on developing and approving specific legislation for the protection of rights of older persons at the federal level and in all provinces; this can be achieved via the approval of Senior Citizens Bill and its implementation. Then, it can make headway towards the introduction of comprehensive social protection floor for older persons in Pakistan, and can advance policies on ageing and older people in all domains of human rights, including social protection, health and social care, independence and personal security, participation and inclusion, health and care, and enabling age-friendly environments.

Finally, Pakistan must urgently conduct a nationwide survey on rights of older men and women on regular basis, along the lines of similar specialized surveys in other countries.

Two people celebrate their 60th birthday around the globe every second. One in 9 persons in the world is 60 or over. There are currently around 900 million older persons worldwide, representing approximately 12.5% of the global population. By 2050, this will increase to 2.1 billion or 21.5% of the global population. This is happening faster in Asia and especially in South Asia.

Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world and is among one of those 15 countries in the world where people over the age of 60 are more than 10 million. It is estimated that 7% of the total population of Pakistan is over 60 with a figure of 11.6 million, and this figure will rise to 43.3 million by 2050.