Data and Rights in the Middle East Region

Like me, perhaps, some of you might get jittery when the word ‘data’ and ‘statistics’ are raised in emails and meetings. Every time I see a set of complex figures, a bar graph or a pie chart I remember those tortuous maths exams in school that I have since tried to forget. In recent years working with HelpAge I confess to a certain nervousness when discussions touched upon the subject of the demographic transition, changes in the population curve, the demographic dividend and how it should be calculated and measured.

After several years I have however come to realise that the absence of inclusive statistics stands in the way of good policies and practices for older people. I have heard a common enough refrain in the Middle East that the abuse and neglect of older people simply does not take place in local communities, a claim that can be made I suppose because there is little data available to say otherwise. At the same time the necessity of engaging with population issues has hopefully bettered my acquaintance with figures and statistics, and a possible hangover from my former reservation has been a desire to see statistics made more accessible so that complexity does not stand in the way of practical action by those who make decisions.

Over the last two years in the Middle East, HelpAge has worked in partnership with the UNFPA to produce a total of sixteen demographic profiles in a simple pictorial form in an attempt to present facts and figures relating to the rights of older people in useable ways. They have been aimed at policy makers in national governments as well as statisticians in relevant ministries to highlight where policies are absent or deficient in meeting a problem, as well as where national statistical systems need to be more inclusive in collecting information. Rights to income security, enjoyment of civil and political rights, opportunities for lifelong learning, and freedom from violence, abuse and neglect featured as common omissions.

At two November conferences held in Sharjah and Muscat respectively HelpAge was invited to share, advocate and inform both these audiences on the issue of data and its adequacy in the Arab States region when it comes to older people’s rights. We were encouraged by the openness of regional and national delegations to recognise gaps and to express a willingness to become more familiar with the range of human rights older people should enjoy.

The next stage of course is to build on that momentum to see how such deficiencies can be addressed in practice so that statistics and data do not sit in reports on academic shelves but are translated into practical actions that benefit older people. Discussions are now progressing on how the sixteen demographic profiles can be better used, and how guidance on the human rights of older people can be further rolled out across the Arab States region.