oa Opinie: Lang zal ze leven … een wens van de goede of de kwade fee? - Genderpolitiek van de mondiale vergrijzing

Old age poverty, especially amongst women, is a serious risk that is barely addressed. Today about two-third of older people are living in Asia, Latin-America of Africa and this is estimated to rise to close to 80% by 2050, about 1.6 billion older people. Though many governments in these regions are working on the development of social security, currently, over half of older people worldwide – 342 million – lack income security. And, unless action is taken to improve the situation, it is estimated that, by 2050, more than 1.2 billion older people will still be without access to secure incomes (UNDESA, 2007) and will not enjoy their Third Age in good quality of life. Family support is declining in many parts of the world and improved social security policies have not compensated for this. The central question I pose in this article is whether women are more exposed to financial risks than men. I take a closer look at three socio-demographic trends with important implications for women: – Reduced fertility and increased life expectancy – the increasing dependency ratio and the risk of feminisation of poverty – Waning support from the family and the gap in social security