The Forgotten Demographic: Advocating for Older Persons on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Aisha M. Suleiman
Jun 15
6 min read

The Forgotten Demographic: Advocating for Older Persons on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Aisha M. Suleiman (2024-25 Iowa UNA College Ambassador from the University of Iowa)

On Dec. 19, 2011, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) officially designated June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The initiative was originally started in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the UNGA recognition significantly elevated its global importance.

When we talk or think about human rights, the rights of older persons rarely come to mind. Despite this, older persons represent the fastest growing population and demographic globally. Indeed, this historical shift affects all of us. In fact, the number of people aged 60 and older is projected to double from 900 million in 2015 to over 2 billion by 2050. Yet, amid the ambitious blueprint for the future, they are often conspicuously underrepresented.

Abuse of older persons is a growing epidemic. This is reflected in the increasing number of human rights violations against older persons in the U.S. and around the world. Elder abuse is not exclusive to the U.S. It is a global issue, and it cuts across both developing and developed countries. There are documented reports of elder abuse in Australia, Canada, South Africa, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Mauritius, Palestine, Norway, Poland, and several other jurisdictions. Sadly, this challenge remains largely invisible in sustainable developmental conversations. Their needs and rights receive little or no attention.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, elder abuse is “an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult”. It takes various forms such as Physical Abuse, Psychological Abuse, Financial Exploitation, Neglect and Abandonment, and sexual abuse. Other implicit forms of elder abuse include culturally specific practices seen in some countries, such as witchcraft accusations, property grabbing, social isolation, and denial of healthcare due to ageist beliefs. Other urgent and emerging concerns affecting older persons include climate change, emergencies, disabilities, and ongoing conflicts. The COVID-19 pandemic further compounded this risk. Recently, technology has also emerged as a growing factor in elder abuse, primarily through online scams, digital fraud, and misinformation that target older adults. Elder abuse is also known as the abuse of older people and can take place in community or institutional settings. Elder abuse impacts both men and women; however, research indicates that older women are more vulnerable to such abuse.

Alarmingly, there have been several thousand reported cases of elder abuse. Caregivers perpetrated the most common form of elder abuse. Statistics show that about 64% of elder care facility staff commit some form of abuse annually. In another troubling report, 64.2% of nursing home staff admitted to abusing residents in their care. Within the U.S., Washington, Missouri, and Texas are revealed to be the top three states where elders are commonly mistreated. In specific numbers, Texas reported 127,724 cases, Washington 47,252, and Missouri 36,942.

One of the biggest obstacles to addressing elder abuse is that it is underreported. Many older adults fear retaliation, feel ashamed, or worry about being institutionalized or losing family support. Other contributing factors include lack of awareness, weak legal protections, cultural norms, digital exploitation, and limited data on elder abuse, among others.

Worrisomely, even with the universality of ageism, the current international legal framework does not explicitly recognize age as a basis for discrimination. In addition, there is no dedicated international human rights treaty comprehensively sets out state obligations specifically toward older persons. So far, only a few international human instruments explicitly mention age. Notable examples are Article 7 of the ICRMW, Article 11 (1) (e) of CEDAW, and Articles 13, 16, 25(b), and 28(2)(b) of the CRPD. This gap is precisely why the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing has called for a new

Why Advocacy for Older Persons Matters

First, justice is incomplete if it excludes any group. Second, as many countries face rapidly ageing populations, abuse against older people is expected to rise. Third, while some of us may be young now, in a decade or more, many of us will become part of the older generation. Older adults deserve to live free from discrimination and abuse, with full participation in society. At the end of the day, age rights are human rights.

The U.N.'s Efforts: So Far, So Good

The first significant international effort on ageing was the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing. It was endorsed by the U.N. General Assembly in 1982 at the World Assembly on Ageing in Vienna, Austria. The plan provided a framework for formulating policies and programs to address the challenges and opportunities of ageing populations.

Another notable milestone in 2022 was the adoption of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). MIPAA became the first global agreement to recognize older people as contributors to development and committed governments to integrating ageing into all social and economic policies, including poverty reduction strategies. The plan also advocated better healthcare, stronger protections, and the inclusion of older persons. MIPAA incorporates a quinquennial participatory review process that actively promotes the involvement of older persons.

Nearly a decade later, in 2010, the UN established the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWGA). This group was tasked with identifying gaps in the protection of older persons’ rights and exploring the possibility of a new international legal instrument.

The global focus on ageing gained new momentum in 2015 with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This historic pledge to "leave no one behind" explicitly included older adults as critical partners in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, despite this promise, many SDG indicators still lacked age-disaggregated data, making it difficult to measure progress for older populations.

In response to this gap, the UN strengthened its commitment by declaring the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) in 2020. This global initiative aims to improve the lives of older adults, their families, and communities by promoting inclusive healthcare, community support, and age-friendly environments. In 2021, the WHO released its Global Report on Ageism. The report identified ageism as a serious and widespread issue, warning that negative stereotypes and discrimination against older adults threaten their dignity, health, and quality of life.

In 2024, a UN Working Group on Ageing acknowledged that the international human rights system doesn’t fully protect older people’s rights. It recommended the draft of a binding international treaty to strengthen the rights of older persons. In response, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a historic resolution to establish an intergovernmental working group to promote and protect the human rights of older persons. The group is primarily tasked with drafting a convention for consideration by the UN Human Rights Council. It will meet twice a year for five-day sessions in Geneva, Switzerland. All UN member states, NGOs, national human rights institutions, and older persons themselves are invited to take part. The newly formed working group is expected to hold its first organizational session later in 2025.

Regional bodies across Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East have intensified their efforts to combat elder abuse. A combined understanding of these initiatives shows positive effort and progress globally. Nonetheless, there is still a lot of work to be done.

You don’t need to work for the UN to make a difference. Here’s how we all can get involved:

1. Report Abuse: If you suspect elder abuse, report it immediately to local authorities or adult protective services. Remember, silence enables violence.

2. Advocate: Support laws, policies, and campaigns that protect the rights of older people at the local, national, and international levels.

3. Volunteer: Offer your time and skills to nursing homes, hospitals, or elder rights and advocacy organizations. You can engage in person or virtually. 4. Reconnect: Visit or call older family members, neighbors, or community members. Sometimes, inclusion starts with a conversation.

5. Funding: Donate and support initiatives, programs, or organizations that support and protect older adults.

6. Promote Data Collection: Advocate for better and more inclusive data to raise awareness and guide informed policy decisions.

7. Stay Informed: Read and subscribe to receive updates from focused newsletters like WHO, UNDESA, Age International, and AGE Platform Europe. Also, engage with the older person dedicated UN social media pages via Facebook, and X.