Ageing and gender

The long-term pattern of demographic changes: declining fertility and mortality rates have resulted in the unprecedented, high rates of population ageing. It is predicted that by the year 2050, 20% of the worldwide population will be 60 years old and older, and the majority of them will be women [5]. The increasing number of elderly people has prompted a considerable interest in their health and well-being conditions. The International Year of Older Persons, declared by the WHO in 1999, was a landmark in the evolution of the research programmes on ageing and policy agenda of public health. Interdisciplinary and inter-sectorial initiatives were fostered, particularly those directed at recognizing the importance of gender differences. Clearly, the findings of numerous studies have revealed some of the constraints imposed by gender stereotyping on each sex. Inequalities between women and men show that women are more likely to receive fewer benefits than men from their access to the mainstream of economic and social life. The solution to this problem lies in improving access of women to resources that might enhance their well-being. A range of health and social policy initiatives has been implemented and achieved a considerable success in creating practical improvements in women’s lives. At present women live longer than men, fertility rates have fallen by one third, maternal mortality rates have been halved and female literacy has increased from 54% of the male rate to 74% [5]. Considering the complex pattern of social and cultural attributes that define what is thought of as masculine and feminine in a given time and place, the objective of this paper is to review a gender picture of the health and well-being of the elderly. THE CONCEPT OF GENDER