Good practices from AGE members on how to advance the right of older persons

In Malta and Spain, some of AGE members have recently taken or joined action at national level to promote rights in older age and fight elder abuse.

Discussing the human rights framework at a cross-party conference

On 30 September 2022, our Maltese members organised the first edition of the National Parliament of Older People that brought together NGOs of older persons, administrators, academics and politicians to discuss rights in older age and elder abuse. This meeting was held in collaboration with our member, the National Council of the Elderly. The event covered several areas such as autonomy and self-determination, physical, psychological and emotional abuse, financial and digital abuse, as well as measures to protect the right to health and well-being.

In Malta, the Constitution does not recognize age discrimination despite few instances of age discrimination that have arisen, notably in cases of employment.

“In order to move forward, we need to adopt a critical eye that leads us towards a process of ageing mainstreaming, that is, towards the integration of all bands of society, regardless of age, into the legislative framework of the country and in its implementation with concrete measures” said our Maltese member, Anthony DeGiovanni.

AGE Platform Europe was invited to participate as a speaker, where our Secretary General, Maciej Kucharczyk, discussed the importance of implementing a human rights-based approach. He also highlighted how women experience the combined effect of ageism and sexism, leading to multi-fold inequalities such access to employment and healthcare and adequate pensions.

Organising a roundtable for a convention on the rights of older people

Our partner HelpAge Spain created the Mesa Estatal in 2013 which is constituted of 22 member entities across Spain, including our members CEOMA, Fundación Pilares, the Spanish Red Cross, and Mayores UDP.

The aim of the Mesa Estatal is to:

• Defend the rights of older persons against abuse and violence.
• Fight against ageism and age discrimination.
• Make older people visible in the current system of human rights protection.
• Highlight the positive contributions of older people in their families and societies more broadly.

The Secretariat, led by HelpAge Spain, and its members meet internally 3 times a year to assess the progress made, notably during the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing. They also meet with the relevant authorities to advocate for the rights of older people at national and international levels. On 15 June 2022, they wrote a joint statement entitled ‘Never again maltreatment and discrimination against older people’.

Joining forces not only make visible the gaps and limitations that exist in the current human rights framework, but it strengthens our voices, contributing to building a movement of older people.

For more information, please contact Human Rights Officer, Apolline Parel at apolline.parel@age-platform.eu