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Speech to the UN F.W.H.C.W.Betty Johnson
I am speaking on behalf of a coalition of organizations representing millions of older women throughout the world. These organizations are concerned with and promote the well-being of all older women. I speak to you as an older woman, and may I say, where I am today, hopefully ALL of you will be tomorrow. Let us look for a moment at the situation of the older woman of today. Because of increasing life expectancy, our numbers are growing steadily everywhere, but they are growing most rapidly in developing countries. Many of our sisters in both developing and developed countries live in poverty. In developing countries, over one-third of older women are illiterate. They have little or no access to health care, education and training. Many live in social isolation and suffer from loneliness. Most importantly, many women are discriminated against on the basis of age, and this discrimination already commences at mid-life. However, these women have worked and contributed to their families, communities and societies throughout their lives and continue to do so! Madam Chair, we acknowledge that the Platform for Action has taken a life-cycle approach to women's lives and recognizes that women's needs change at various stages of their lives. However, we now draw your attention to the fact that certain areas of critical concern to older women are not adequately addressed. These areas relate first and foremost to discrimination against women, which is particularly pervasive in the issues of employment; to education and training, to the elimination of poverty, to the social integration of all older women, and to older women's access to appropriate health care. We therefore urge that the existing brackets in these areas be removed to ensure that the concerns of older women are included throughout the Platform for Action. Finally, Madam Chair, one very specific issue which is not addressed about the lives of older women is violence and abuse. Madam Chair, we thank you for giving us the opportunity on behalf of older women, and may I conclude by emphasizing that older women represent a tremendous ongoing productive resource to society. We must ensure that it not be wasted. The organizations listed below agree with the demands of the coalition of older women as mentioned in the attached speech. American Association of Retired People (A.A.R.P.) Association for World Education Council on Ageing Australia Eurage Help Age International International Association of Social Workers International Council of Jewish Women International African Committee Older Women's Network Australia Older Women's Network Europe Older Women's League Soroptomists Zonta International First list, 95-9-05.
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