Following the elections of the European Parliament last June, and ahead of the setting up of the new European Commission, over 130 EU citizens discussed the Europe they want, including solutions against ageism. This Citizen Workshop was hosted by the FutuRes project – in which AGE is a partner.
Ageism is embedded in societal structures, policies and legal systems, reinforcing prejudices, perpetuating demeaning attitudes and limiting opportunities for older people to equally enjoy their rights in later life. Addressing this issue should be a key priority for the upcoming EU institutions to ensure a Europe for all ages.
FutuRes’ public online Workshop titled “Ageism and the Next EU Agenda” was organized on 26th September as part of the World Health Organization’s #AWorld4AllAges campaign. It brought together engaged citizens, volunteers, community organizers and NGO members who joined from more than 20 European countries. They shared their policy suggestions for the coming new EU Commission.
Widespread, yet overlooked
Access to basic (digitalized) banking services, increasing age limits in many aspects of life, and negative ageist perception of old age are only some examples of barriers facing older people when they want to enjoy their rights as equal citizens. And, while people over 60 are becoming an increasingly large interest group, fewer resources will be allocated in the next EU-Agenda to policies of equality, including ageism.
Need to better frame ageism
Representing AGE Platform Europe, Ilenia Gheno, Project Manager, took part as moderator and Nena Georgantzi, Human Rights Manager, was among the speakers.
Nena gave a critical overview of the EU policy landscape, which included both opportunities and gaps in addressing ageism. She also highlighted ways in which the current framework perpetuates and justifies ageism, leaving a lot of margin for inequalities to be overlooked. Our Human Rights Manager explained that the EU has systematically deprioritied age equality, which not only makes it difficult to protect address age discrimination in old age, but also to understand how older people are affected by multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination and goes against EU’s ambition to create a Union of Equality. This is why AGE has proposed the adoption of an Age Equality Strategy.
In her concluding remarks Nena stressed that we all have a role to play in fighting ageism and holding others, including states, accountable when they fail to do so.
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