India’s Older Women face the brunt of Exclusion: Social, Financial & Digital with rise in Dependency and Abuse, reveals HelpAge India Report

STATE TIMES NEWS

HelpAge India, today on the eve of UN recognized ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ (June 15) released its national 2023 report – “Women & Ageing: Invisible or Empowered?” at the …office 0f Director School Education Jammu by Shri Ashok Kumar Sharma Director school Education.
A first of its kind report focusing only on older women, who are often the lost and the last in line, where their needs and rights are concerned. It exploring the aspects of elder abuse and discrimination, access and ownership of older women to financial resources, employment and employability, health care, social and digital inclusion, safety and security, awareness and use of redressal mechanisms and others. The survey was conducted by a professional research agency – Ipsos Research Private Limited.

The report was spread across the length and breadth of the country covering both rural & urban India across 20 states, 2 UTs and 5 metro cities, with a sample size of 7911, covering SEC B, C & D categories.

The HelpAge report brings out the ‘unpreparedness and dependency’ of older women starkly, with high illiteracy levels, low financial security, lack of awareness on redressal mechanisms and schemes beneficial for them, lack of employment opportunities and medical cover, it leaves them open and vulnerable to abuse.