Older women left behind
Of the US$ 5.7 billion of aid spent on gender equality projects, a mere US$ 7.8 million includes older women.
Older women, who represent a rapidly growing demographic, are being neglected at every level of global development. With such a small fraction of gender-focused aid reaching them, the international community is overlooking the lived realities of millions.
By 2050, women over 50 will make up 34.7 per cent of the world’s female population (currently they represent 27 per cent).
Yet their needs remain largely invisible in policy and funding, and they are systematically excluded from gender equality initiatives, leaving them vulnerable and under-supported.
For many, old age brings poverty. Decades of unpaid caregiving, informal work, and pervasive gender discrimination leave older women with little to no savings, and they often lack access to pensions.
The result? Millions of older women are forced to continue working, often in harsh conditions, just to survive and support their households
“The mere thought of sickness terrifies me,” shares a 60-year-old woman from Lebanon. “We do not have any social safety net, healthcare, or protection. Who would care for our fate? The government is nowhere to be found.”
Her story is the reality for countless women.
HelpAge’s analysis reveals an alarming truth: of the 7,231 projects reported by OECD-DAC members in 2021 to promote gender equality, only 16—just 0.2%—explicitly included older women. These projects accounted for a mere 0.1% of total gender equality aid.
This statistic isn’t just a number—it’s a significant gap in global attention. Almost two-thirds of the donors did not fund a single project that addressed older women.
This lack of attention is nothing short of a crisis. As older women continue to suffer from the compounded effects of gender inequality and age discrimination, the international community’s inaction highlights the urgent need for change.
Women over the age of 50 account for 27 per cent of the world’s women and yet they are almost entirely invisible within debates on gender equality.
International aid providers play a key role in making sure gender equality efforts include women of all ages.
But our report shows that older women are often left out. There are significant gaps in how their rights and needs are addressed in current donor spending on gender equality.
The data is clear: donor priorities must change. A failure to invest in older women is a failure to achieve true gender equality.
The international community has the power—and the responsibility—to address this gap. It is crucial for donors to adopt an all-ages approach, ensuring that policies and programmes include older women through both mainstreaming and targeted initiatives.
Without urgent action, the gender equality agenda will remain incomplete. As the world ages, older women cannot afford to be left behind. The global community must refocus its efforts on empowering women at every stage of life.
HelpAge proposes the following recommendations:
The time to act is now. With older women making up a growing share of the global population, donors must recognise that gender equality cannot be achieved without them. Aid must reflect this reality – starting today.
Older women deserve better. Global aid must step up.
