The Platform
The Platform
Combatting Ageism
Changing how we think, feel, and act around age and ageing is crucial to foster healthy ageing.
Looking for the Ageism through the ages initiative?The 2025 United Nations International Day of Older Persons will serve as a platform for older persons to share their aspirations, advocate for their well-being, and call for the full enjoyment of their human rights. This year's commemoration, themed "Older Persons Driving Local and Global Action: Our Aspirations, Our Well-Being, Our Rights,” will take place in-person at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City ECOSOC Chamber (tbc), on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm EST.
MoreThe 2025 UNIDOP in Geneva, Switzerland will highlight the rationale for a legally binding instrument and the roles and responsibilities of each actor in supporting the process to a Convention that reflects the realities of older persons across the world today and generations to come.
MoreObjective: This side event aims to highlight how gender inequality, ageism, and discrimination faced by women across the life course undermine sustainable development, and to spotlight the vital role that older women play in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. By focusing on gender responsive, rights based, and life course approaches to ageing, it will underscore connections with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG17 (Partnerships). The event will explore how addressing gender and age discrimination can drive more inclusive economic growth, stronger care and social protection systems, and intergenerational solidarity — catalyzing gender equality and resilience across all generations.
MoreThe International Longevity Centre of Canada and HelpAge Canada, invite you to an impactful gathering at the High-Level Political Forum 2025. This session will explore how ageism and sexism intersect to shape older women’s experiences and highlight their vital leadership and resilience.
MoreThis inter-institutional initiative, led by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in collaboration with other United Nations agencies and the inter-American system, aims to promote effective actions, favor the prioritization of measures at the local level and serve as a basis for reporting on the progress made during the Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030. Its purpose is to provide evidence-based information on the health and well-being situation of older persons in the Region of the Americas. This initiative consists of a series of publications is divided into four parts, namely: the demographic situation in the Region, aging and health, the various areas of action of the Decade of Healthy Ageing and other related emerging issues. Each part will be updated with new reports, articles, and data on a regular basis.
MorePeople worldwide are living longer, but the opportunities that arise from increasing longevity depend strongly on the health and well-being of older populations. Healthy ageing needs to be fostered by creating integrated and responsive primary health care systems and services; ensuring access to long-term care for older people who need it; changing how we think, feel and act towards age and ageing; and cultivating age-friendly environments. If these actions are underpinned by activities to address socioeconomic inequities, then they can improve the health and well-being of current and future generations.
MoreIn a new Surgeon General’s Advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warns about the public health crisis that loneliness, isolation, and disconnection pose to the American public. Loneliness and isolation are widespread, with approximately half of U.S. adults experiencing loneliness. Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical, and societal health. In fact, loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges in their lives, and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Strengthening the social fabric of our communities is essential in order to improve the health of people and communities and must be a national priority. Addressing loneliness is as vital to protecting our health as addressing obesity, tobacco, or addiction. The Surgeon General’s Advisory lays out lays out a National Strategy to Advance Social Connection, which has never been done before in the United States. It includes six pillars detailing recommendations that individuals, governments, workplaces, health systems, and community organizations can take to increase connection in their lives, communities, and across the country. By strengthening our relationships, increasing connection, and rebuilding the social fabric of our nation, we can improve the health of people across the country.
MoreThis research brief synthesizes scholarship and research exploring the concept of ageism, its multifaceted forms, impacts, and redresses. Ageism is defined as the stereotyping, prejudice, and/or discrimination of individuals on the basis of their age. It is one of the most pervasive, yet least acknowledged and socially accepted forms of prejudice. Though little recognized, ageism is a significant societal issue and mounting public health concern for the growing global elder population and communities worldwide. Biased attitudes and actions are observed at the individual, societal, and systemic levels. Age-prejudice can be implicit, subtle or evident, and consequential harms may be immediate and/or enduring. Resulting injuries include increased morbidity, marginalization, social privation, and financial damages. Effective interventions embrace education, awareness, intergenerational programs, and outreach.
MoreA significant portion of older individuals experience mental disorders. Yet, these often go unnoticed and untreated, being overlooked as normal ageing or overshadowed by other health issues. This is especially true for older women, those with lower socio-economic status, and long-term care facility residents. To effectively promote and protect the mental health of older adults, addressing the treatment gap and the negative impacts on individuals and their families is crucial. This policy brief outlines the determinants and prevalence of mental health issues among older adults in the UNECE region and features concrete policy strategies and examples aimed at improving mental health of older persons from across the UNECE region. The policy examples featured in the brief include measures to eliminate stigma, improve mental health literacy and combat ageism. They also include measures aimed at prevention and early detection, tackling psychosocial challenges and supporting older persons during challenging life events. Furthermore, the brief includes policy examples for integrating mental health services into care, improving access to treatment, protecting mental health in emergencies, and enhancing research and data collection.
MoreThis instalment of the Social Protection Spotlight brief series from the International Labour Organization explores the role of universal social protection in promoting healthy ageing, reducing disease and disability among older persons by ensuring equitable access to healthcare, pensions, and long-term care services.
MoreThis report, submitted pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 2020/8, provides an assessment of the fourth review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002, at the international level. The report gives an overview of the regional review and appraisal processes, together with a description of overall trends based on an analysis of the outcome of regional reviews and appraisals and the identification of prevalent and emerging issues and related policy options.
MoreThe purpose of Above Ground is to understand how artists—who often reach artistic maturity and increased artistic satisfaction as they age—are supported and integrated within their communities and how their network structures change over time. Past evidence shows that as people age, they often become more isolated from each other, making it difficult for organizations to serve them both individually and as a group. While artists have a long history of self-sustaining mechanisms sometimes outside the mainstream system, the aging process poses particular challenges that artists themselves may no longer be able to meet. At a time when many artists are maturing in their art, such needs range from adequate healthcare and retirement savings to realizing the outcome of one’s career expectations and finding a community of colleagues and a stimulating environment where creative work can be nurtured. This study by the Research Center for Arts and Culture (RCAC) at Columbia University’s Teachers College, provides the first needs assessment of aging artists in the New York Metro Area.
MoreThe number of aging workers in the workforce is growing. People are working longer, either because they want to, they need to to make ends meet or have because they have unique skills. So, what are the implications of this trend for the trade union movement? What does it mean for older workers and their representatives? And how can trade unions address the multiple challenges that are emerging as the workforce ages? In this podcast we explore these trends with Plamen Dimitrov, President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria and member of the Workers’ Group of the ILO Governing Body.
MoreIs Dementia a normal part of ageing? Someone suffers from dementia every three seconds. What are the causes? Can we prevent it? Is there a cure? Dr Katrin Seeher explains in Science in 5.
MoreDid you know that social isolation or loneliness could increase your risk of early death by up to 32%? How would you know if you are socially isolated and how does it impact your health? Alana Officer explains and gives tips to overcome social isolation in Science in 5 this week.
MoreThere’s a new trend in the world of work…the growth of an ageing workforce. It’s called the “Silver Tsunami’, and it means more people are working past retirement age, either because they want to or because they must, to make ends meet. So, what are the implications of this trend for employers and enterprises? In this podcast, Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers, and Dorothea Schmidt-Klau, Chief of the Employment, Labour Markets and Youth Branch in the ILO’s Employment Policy Department, explore this issue, and how it will impact the world of work.
MorePolicy interventions to meet the needs of older persons and bring societal development into harmony with demographic change span across many policy areas including education, health, labour and social affairs. They address challenges such as ageism and take steps towards creating enabling environments for active and healthy ageing. The UNECE Ageing Policies Database allows you to browse ageing-related policy interventions developed by UNECE member States across Europe, North America and Central Asia. The database is a tool for knowledge sharing, peer learning and monitoring of policy developments over time. It showcases policy innovations in the field of ageing across 14 broad policy themes. Developed by the UNECE Population Unit and the UNECE Standing Working Group on Ageing it provides easy access to a wealth of policy actions, searchable by country, policy theme or policy instrument.
MoreThis database is the first product of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing's intervention accelerator initiative on abuse of older people, which aims to develop a portfolio of effective approaches to prevent and respond to the abuse of older people. The database contains 89 promising interventions identified through a rigorous search and screening of nearly 14 000 scientific studies. The aims of these interventions include: (1) improving knowledge of abuse of older people among professionals to increase the likelihood of detection and reporting; (2) raising awareness of the issue; (3) reducing mental health symptoms among victims of abuse; and (4) preventing abuse. Older people who have experienced or are at risk of abuse were the main targets of these interventions, although a significant proportion were also aimed at caregivers, perpetrators of abuse and institutions. Over half of the identified interventions were implemented in the United States of America, which emphasizes the need to conduct more research in low- and middle-income countries. The new database is a rich repository of evidence-based interventions to address abuse of older people that can inform future research and practice in the field by governments, international organizations, civil society organizations, academics, practitioners, and funders. The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing intervention accelerator on abuse of older people will build on this database by further evaluating these interventions for refinement, adaptation and real-world testing.
MoreIn a new Surgeon General’s Advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warns about the public health crisis that loneliness, isolation, and disconnection pose to the American public. This Resource Library supports the Advisory by outlining recommendations and useful resources to support different stakeholder groups in the United States implement the Framework for a National Strategy to Advance Social Connection. Individuals and organizations can use this framework to address the public health problem of social disconnection and strengthen social connection. The recommendations and resources outlined in this Resource Library can also help stakeholders around the world combat loneliness and promote social connection in their own contexts.
MoreA programme of work at the University of Sheffield supports and promotes the sexual rights of older adults, part of which involves providing reliable information about sexual health and sexual well-being as we get older. Through research, older adults consistently highlight the lack of available information on sexual issues for the over 50s. The website Age, Sex and You has been designed to meet these needs. It provides general information, all in one place, about the sexual changes that can occur with older age. It can be difficult to talk about sex because it is a private topic, and sexual health campaigns rarely include older adults. As a result, there is a silence around the sexual issues as we get older and a need to improve sexual health awareness in this area. Age, Sex and You is a public health website that is free to use. It aims to support healthy sexual ageing for the millions of older adults to whom sex and intimacy are important.
MoreJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is an incorporated administrative agency that delivers Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. JICA is one of the worldʼs largest bilateral aid agencies, supporting developing countries in addressing their development challenges through flexible combination of various cooperation modalities, such as Technical Cooperation, Finance and Investment Cooperation, and Grants. JICA has 96 overseas offices and operates in approximately 140 countries and regions of the world (As of July 2023). JICA also has 15 domestic offices across Japan that serve as a nexus linking developing countries with regions in the country. These domestic offices promote international cooperation that takes advantage of the characteristics of these regions and contribute to their development through such cooperation.
MoreSAGE is the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is an organization that advocates with and on behalf of and offers supportive services and resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers.
MoreThe Alliance for Health Innovation brings together a diverse set of cross-sector stakeholders committed to health innovation through the lens of equity and healthy aging. Its mission is to establish the importance of innovation in achieving healthy aging through investments, policy reforms, and strategic partnerships – both for the value to patients and for health system sustainability.
MoreCommonAge is a charitable organisation, advocating to ensure older people are fully recognised in society, and are supported and enabled to live well in an all-age friendly Commonwealth. We support the view that a healthy ageing population is much less expensive one for governments to support, and therefore is less of a burden on taxpayers and health systems. We actively lobby governments, encourage sharing of ideas and promoting intergenerational activities, hold both physical and virtual events, and support ongoing research into issues affecting older people in the Commonwealth.
MoreEstablished in 2013, Bihani Social Venture is Nepal’s first social enterprise working to foster age and disability inclusive communities focusing on older adults. To promote a society inclusive of older people, Bihani offers innovative and diverse services and activities. Our primary focus is on individuals above the age of 50 (however not limited to it) while our secondary focus is on families, institutions and organisations who directly or indirectly work or interact with elders.
MoreProAge is a UK charity dedicated to combatting ageism at work thereby creating age-inclusive workplaces and high-performing multigenerational teams. We help companies by offering three core services: 1. Age-inclusive audits and ongoing follow-up; 2. Multigenerational workplace consulting; 3. Leadership training - multigenerational teams.
MoreGlobal Intergenerational Week is about raising awareness of the power of intergenerational connections and relationships, and recognising the benefits they can bring to individuals, families, and communities. In a post-pandemic world that is too often characterised by division, loneliness, and social isolation, intergenerational connections can offer a powerful antidote. They bring together people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences, and create opportunities for learning, sharing and growth, leading to the creation of stronger and more resilient communities.
More1in6by2030 is a global, collaborative project that brings together photographers from around the world to put a human face on one of the most important "statistics" of our time — the fact that by the year 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be over the age of 60. Earth’s population is about to become the oldest it has ever been. In the seven years leading up to 2030, photographers around the world will show us what it looks like to live in this historic time. This is a historic moment for the world — one filled with challenges and also huge potential — as individuals, societies and governments confront one of the most fundamental population shifts in human history. This seven-year-long project launched in 2023 will feature a series of photo essays that bring these issues to life from around the world.
MoreThe For Equality in Ageing initiative is a national awareness campaign that aims to challenge societal and individual attitudes towards older people in Ireland. The campaign has been developed by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, in collaboration with a consultative group who provided expert input into the campaign.
MoreAge Without Limits is a new campaign from Ageing Better (UK). Launched in January 2024, The Age Without Limits campaign aims to change the way we all think about ageing and support a growing movement of people and organisations working to make society more age-inclusive. Ageism is the prejudice that’s hidden in plain sight. It’s embedded in our society and even accepted as normal by those of us who are older. We see and hear casual ageism every day in the media, on TV, at work, in pubs, on social media, in family conversations. It doesn’t have to be this way. Thinking negatively about ageing and older people has been accepted and ignored for too long.
More#OlderNotOver is HelpAge International's three-year campaign that will champion a fuller, more authentic portrayal of what life really looks like after 60, from America to Zimbabwe. We’re calling on every member in the global HelpAge network to help change how the world sees and treats older people. But you don’t have to be a member of the global network to get involved. If you want to grow older in a world that doesn’t demonise and penalise people once they get to 60, we’d love to have you on board. Together, we can create a powerful movement that truly champions older age in all its glory.
MoreLoneliness Awareness Week is a week dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness. It's all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends or colleagues about loneliness. Loneliness is a natural human emotion - we are hardwired to need social connections. By talking about it, we can support ourselves and others.
MoreInvesting in people’s health is vital for everyone’s wellbeing and to ensure that we can truly benefit from the “longevity dividend” that could result from an ageing population. Yet we know that across the globe, action and investment in healthy ageing and preventative health continues to lag. This is where the Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index comes in. It ranks 121 countries against six indicators: life span, health span, work span, income, environmental performance, and happiness. This allows us to compare how sustainable different countries are, both in terms of longer lives and the extent to which their governments are investing in efforts to prevent ill health and support healthy ageing. We know prevention is better than cure. We know what works. Now we need to see action.
MoreThe Global Coalition on Aging Bone Health Initiative was convened in 2022 to address the importance of bone health on the global public health agenda. Experts project that half a billion people will soon be living with osteoporosis, which weakens their bones and increases the risk of fragility fractures – fractures that occur because of weaker bones. Every 3 seconds, an older adult suffers a fracture, resulting in an estimated 9 million fractures globally every year. Approximately 33 percent of women and 20 percent of men aged 50 and older will experience osteoporosis-related bone fractures. More importantly, we know that individuals who sustain fragility fractures ddare a readily identifiable group at high imminent risk of sustaining second and subsequent fractures.
MoreLanguage and images convey meaning, which feed assumptions and judgements that can lead to ageism. The way we frame communications also affects how people think, feel and act towards different age groups. This short guide, produced as a part of the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism, aims to help you improve your communication efforts by avoiding ageism in the messages and images you use.
MoreThis guide is for older people who are interested in using role-play to understand how ageism affects them and what action to take to improve their lives.
MoreElder Abuse is a universal problem. It is prevalent everywhere. Abuse can occur anywhere, by anyone, but frequently it is familial, institutional and social. Raising awareness and prevention of elder abuse requires the involvement of everyone. Elder abuse will be successfully prevented only if we develop a global culture that fosters intergenerational solidarity. To assist in raising awareness, the Community Guide Toolkit was developed. This is a resource that was created to help individuals, organizations and communities throughout the world plan for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). WEAAD is held annually on June 15th. This Toolkit is also useful to plan for further awareness-raising activities, and also supports ongoing projects and events throughout the months and years to come.
MoreThis guide is for people who are interested in starting a consciousness-raising group to share their experiences of ageism and discuss how they might take action on how to improve their lives.
MoreThis training course provides valuable information on how to address the digital inclusion of older persons in the context of two global megatrends: an ageing population and the exponential rise in digital technologies. It also provides guidelines, tools and resources that aim to achieve healthier and wealthier inclusive digital societies globally. Through its three modules, the course includes holistic information on a range of key topics such as the challenges and opportunities arising from these megatrends; key elements to be considered in the process of digital inclusion; the importance of building inclusive and age-friendly environments; accessibility requirements and standards involved in developing accessible and inclusive ICTs; as well as relevant policy and strategy recommendations.
MoreiSupport is a self-help skills and training programme for carers of people with dementia. Worldwide, around 55 million people have dementia. Dementia causes significant psychological and emotional impact on families and carers. In five modules, iSupport teaches carers what dementia is and how to respond to common challenges of caregiving. The five modules are (i) introduction to dementia; (ii) being a caregiver; (iii) caring for me; (iv) providing everyday care; and (v) dealing with behaviour changes. Carers can choose to work through all modules and lessons consecutively, or select the lessons that are the most relevant to their everyday lives. All lessons consist of brief readings, descriptive examples and several exercises. Carers receive feedback as they work through each exercise.
MoreIn the 21st century, demographic shifts are making a significant impact on the structure of populations, bringing forth the phenomenon of an ageing population. Healthy Ageing for Impact in the 21st Century gives participants the building blocks to become future leaders in this critical area. This course will provide participants with the competencies needed to work on this agenda as part of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030), showcasing that societal change for Healthy Ageing can be achieved at scale in an impactful manner.
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