Africa: Older People's Rights Are Human Rights

Press Release: HelpAge International

Older People's Rights Are Human Rights

Nairobi, December 8th 2003 - Older people comprise the fastest growing population in the world. However, their rights are increasingly being abused by family members and society in general due to the weakening of traditions that accorded them respect and ensured their welfare was attended to. The pervading attitude among many people is that older persons have done their time and must be relegated to the periphery to vegetate and die and therefore have no rights to lay claim to.

It is unfortunate that many older people in Africa lack knowledge about their rights. High levels of illiteracy coupled with advanced age increase their vulnerability and expose them to different forms of mistreatment. The increasing abuse of older people is often not treated with the seriousness it deserves although it continues to assume alarming proportions. The victims themselves lack knowledge on how to claim their rights or to seek redress when these are violated. Older people, being the poorest of the poor, cannot afford legal fees to pursue their cases. Consequently, perpetrators of violations of older people’s rights go unpunished.

The abuse of older persons takes place at all levels of society – within the family and also within government structures. Abuse of their rights range from rape of older women, physical violence that may result in death or permanent disabilities (either during property disputes or upon suspicion of witchcraft practice), abandonment and neglect, slow processing of their pensions (some die without ever enjoying these), and exclusion in relief and rehabilitation programmes in times of emergencies. In hospitals, they are often taunted by health care workers who see them as a waste of their time and of scarce medical resources that could otherwise be used by “more deserving cases” such as children.

The fact that this group of people has a significant role to play in society goes largely unrecognised. For example, some of them continue holding formal or informal jobs well into their old age, thus making contributions to the growth of economies. In this era of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, caring roles of sick adults and orphaned grandchildren are being taken up mostly by the old, especially women.

The extent to which we as a society protect and promote the rights of older people today, reflects on how our own rights will be protected and promoted in our old age tomorrow. Let us not forget that we are ageing everyday.

HelpAge International asserts that older people have rights, as do other age groups, as laid out in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). These should be respected, protected and promoted through the enactment of national laws on older people mirrored on the UDHR and other international human rights conventions.

The United Nations Principles for Older Persons state in part that older persons should be able to live in dignity and security and be free from exploitation and physical or mental abuse regardless of age or gender. Those guilty of violating the rights of our senior citizens should be brought to book and reported cases given due attention.

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* HelpAge International is a global network of not-for-profit organisations working to improve the quality of lives of disadvantaged older people worldwide.

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For more information, please contact:

HelpAge International, Africa Regional Development Centre

Tel: +254-020-4446991/4449407/4444289; Fax: +254-020-4441052

Email: [email protected]