The United Nations(UN)’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is annually observed across the globe on 15th June to provide a platform to offer a better understanding about the abuse and neglect of older persons. The day also aims to create awareness about the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
The 2022 WEAAD focus on “Combatting Elder Abuse”.
Background:
i.International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse(INPEA) initiated and designated the 15th June as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in 2006.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/66/127 in December 2011 and proclaimed the 15th June of every year as the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
iii.The first ever UN-recognised World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was observed on 15th June 2012.
Significance of WEAAD 2022:
The WEAAD 2022 coincides with 2 significant events,
- The year 2022 coincides with the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030), a decade of concerted, catalytic and sustained collaboration with diverse stakeholders on improving the lives of older people, their families and their communities.
- 2022 also marks the 20th milestone of the Second World Assembly on Ageing and the fourth review and appraisal of the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA).
Note: MIPAA represents the first time the government agreed to link questions of ageing to other frameworks for social and economic development and human rights.
UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)
The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/75/131 in December 2020 and proclaimed 2021-2030 as the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing.
The decade offers an opportunity to unite the stakeholders to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live.
Events:
i.As a part of the commemoration of WEAAD 2022, INPEA side event, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe(UNECE) Ministerial Conference on Ageing is set to be held on 16th June 2022 in Rome Italy.
ii.The expert panel will present 5 priorities to combat violence against older persons in the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030).
iii.The panel will also present the overall trends of violence against older persons, and highlight gaps and challenges in implementing the objectives in MIPAA.
Elder abuse:
According to the WHO, around 1 in 6 people aged 60 years or above has experienced some form of abuse in community settings during 2021.
WHO launched the “Combatting Ageism Campaign” which aims to change the narrative around age and ageing and help create a world for all ages.
Key Points:
i.Between 2019 and 2030, the number of people aged 60 years or above is estimated to grow by 38%, from 1 billion to 1.4 billion.
ii.Elder abuse exists in both developing and developed countries, and the prevalence rates or estimates exist only in selected developed countries ranging from 1% to 10%.
iii.The 2020 National Commission on Population report estimates that there will be nearly 138 million elderly persons in India in 2021, comprising 67 million males and 71 million females.
