Page 36 - sesesp01_2002
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CHALLENGE OF THE WORLD ASSEMBLY AGEING AND THE DEVELOPMENT DEBATE
cia de las personas mayores noted that access to health facilities can be difficult, The 20th century saw greater mass migration than any
del mundo en desarrollo. La especially where hospitals are concentrated in urban other period in history. Developed countries became urban
seguridad material, la salud, areas. Also the cost of treatment, especially drugs, can be societies over the century, and the developing world seems
el sexo, el rol de la familia y prohibitive. Finally the attitude of health staff is often to be following this pattern, with some regions,
la comunidad, todos desem- negative towards older people. It is not surprising that particularly Latin America, in the lead. In consequence,
peñan un papel clave en es- older people rely heavily on self-treatment – buying drugs rural populations throughout the developing world are
ta experiencia, y concluiré without prescription, and using traditional healers. But becoming “older” than urban, with a number of issues
reafirmando el tema central this means that costs are high – older people consistently involved.
de los esfuerzos de desarro- identify medical treatment as their most significant
llo con las personas mayores. expense. Falling agricultural productivity has been reported as
younger workers depart, for example, in Thailand where
El objetivo debe ser enca- Older people themselves are acknowledged health care rice-cultivation on subsistence farms has fallen. Older
rar las dos cuestiones, pobre- providers, cultivating and using herbal treatments. Older people in rural areas rely increasingly on support at a
za y exclusión, que niegan a women are very often the recognised traditional birth distance – such as remittances, occasional visits, or
las personas mayores un lu- attendants (TBAs) in their local communities. But policy young family members sent from cities to live with
gar en el proceso del desa- makers not generally or consistently acknowledge these grandparents. Return migration is also a growing
rrollo. Nuestro objetivo debe roles. Poverty and exclusion are the characteristic phenomenon, with long-term issues as returnees come
consistir en permitir su parti- experiences of many older people in developing countries. home to grow old in their countries of origin. This is a
cipación a todos los niveles, Despite an increasing focus of development efforts on particular phenomenon in the Caribbean, but also in parts
desde la comunidad local anti-poverty strategies, poverty and social exclusion still of India.
hasta la preparación de las pose formidable barriers against the participation of older
políticas de los gobiernos people in their societies. Forced migration through natural or political disasters is
centrales. Debemos ayudar a a further aspect of this. Contrary to myth, older people do
las personas mayores a parti- Older people are consistently found to be amongst the not necessarily stay behind when populations are forced to
cipar de la manera que sea poorest, lacking the resources which younger, fitter and move. Nor are they necessarily supported by their families,
apropiada para ellas. more active adults can deploy as some compensation. since sudden shocks completely disrupt family support
Assets (such as land) which some older people systems. However, older people are not just “vulnerable”,
La Asamblea Mundial de accumulate may be of little value without the capital to since their knowledge and experience often provide the
Madrid proporciona, precisa- invest in its maintenance. In Tanzania HelpAge coping strategies which younger adults may lack.
mente, tal oportunidad. Los International research has found a vicious circle of lack of
mayores de todo el mundo se capital to pay for labour to work the land combined with We have looked at several aspects of the experience of
encontrarán allí con los re- declining crop prices, low fertility. older people in the developing world. Material security,
presentantes de los gobier- health, gender, the role of family and community all play a
nos y la sociedad civil, y ten- Old age poverty also has an important gender key part in this experience, and I will close by reinforcing
drán ocasión de influir en los dimension. Even where social welfare systems exist older the central issue for development efforts with older
debates sobre cuestiones women are consistently less likely to receive full benefits people. The aim must be to address the two issues of
que afectan a sus vidas. due to factors such as lack of continuous employment. poverty and exclusion, which deny older people a place in
Where people have to rely on their own resources, women the development process. Our aim must be to enable their
La Asamblea de Madrid es less likely to have property, or other assets of their own. In participation at all levels, from the local community to
también un punto de partida HelpAge’s Tanzania study farm income generated by central government policy making. We must help older
de un viaje más largo, cuyas women was found to go to husband when crops were sold, people to participate in ways that are appropriate to them.
etapas importantes vendrán and this is common elsewhere. The risk of fall into absolute
dentro de pocos años a me- poverty (for example, due to the husband’s death) is great The World Assembly provides just such an opportunity.
dida que todos nosotros tra- for many older women. A further disadvantage is that lack Older people from all over the world will be meeting there
bajemos para asegurar que of educational opportunities restrict a woman’s ability to with representatives of governments and civil society, and
los gobiernos, los organismos enter the labour market. Thus, despite older women’s older people will have an opportunity to influence the
internacionales y la sociedad unpaid work. such as household chores and child-minding, debate on issues affecting their lives. Yet the Assembly is
civil llevan a cabo los com- the life pattern for many women is permanent dependency, also a starting point on a longer journey, the important
promisos realizados en Ma- due not so much to age, and more to family events (such stages of which will come in the next few years as we all
drid de trabajar en favor de as the death or remarriage of a household head), over work to ensure that governments, international agencies
las personas mayores del which she has no control. and civil society carry through the commitments made in
mundo. Madrid to work for the benefit of the world’s older people.
Sesenta y más 41
cia de las personas mayores noted that access to health facilities can be difficult, The 20th century saw greater mass migration than any
del mundo en desarrollo. La especially where hospitals are concentrated in urban other period in history. Developed countries became urban
seguridad material, la salud, areas. Also the cost of treatment, especially drugs, can be societies over the century, and the developing world seems
el sexo, el rol de la familia y prohibitive. Finally the attitude of health staff is often to be following this pattern, with some regions,
la comunidad, todos desem- negative towards older people. It is not surprising that particularly Latin America, in the lead. In consequence,
peñan un papel clave en es- older people rely heavily on self-treatment – buying drugs rural populations throughout the developing world are
ta experiencia, y concluiré without prescription, and using traditional healers. But becoming “older” than urban, with a number of issues
reafirmando el tema central this means that costs are high – older people consistently involved.
de los esfuerzos de desarro- identify medical treatment as their most significant
llo con las personas mayores. expense. Falling agricultural productivity has been reported as
younger workers depart, for example, in Thailand where
El objetivo debe ser enca- Older people themselves are acknowledged health care rice-cultivation on subsistence farms has fallen. Older
rar las dos cuestiones, pobre- providers, cultivating and using herbal treatments. Older people in rural areas rely increasingly on support at a
za y exclusión, que niegan a women are very often the recognised traditional birth distance – such as remittances, occasional visits, or
las personas mayores un lu- attendants (TBAs) in their local communities. But policy young family members sent from cities to live with
gar en el proceso del desa- makers not generally or consistently acknowledge these grandparents. Return migration is also a growing
rrollo. Nuestro objetivo debe roles. Poverty and exclusion are the characteristic phenomenon, with long-term issues as returnees come
consistir en permitir su parti- experiences of many older people in developing countries. home to grow old in their countries of origin. This is a
cipación a todos los niveles, Despite an increasing focus of development efforts on particular phenomenon in the Caribbean, but also in parts
desde la comunidad local anti-poverty strategies, poverty and social exclusion still of India.
hasta la preparación de las pose formidable barriers against the participation of older
políticas de los gobiernos people in their societies. Forced migration through natural or political disasters is
centrales. Debemos ayudar a a further aspect of this. Contrary to myth, older people do
las personas mayores a parti- Older people are consistently found to be amongst the not necessarily stay behind when populations are forced to
cipar de la manera que sea poorest, lacking the resources which younger, fitter and move. Nor are they necessarily supported by their families,
apropiada para ellas. more active adults can deploy as some compensation. since sudden shocks completely disrupt family support
Assets (such as land) which some older people systems. However, older people are not just “vulnerable”,
La Asamblea Mundial de accumulate may be of little value without the capital to since their knowledge and experience often provide the
Madrid proporciona, precisa- invest in its maintenance. In Tanzania HelpAge coping strategies which younger adults may lack.
mente, tal oportunidad. Los International research has found a vicious circle of lack of
mayores de todo el mundo se capital to pay for labour to work the land combined with We have looked at several aspects of the experience of
encontrarán allí con los re- declining crop prices, low fertility. older people in the developing world. Material security,
presentantes de los gobier- health, gender, the role of family and community all play a
nos y la sociedad civil, y ten- Old age poverty also has an important gender key part in this experience, and I will close by reinforcing
drán ocasión de influir en los dimension. Even where social welfare systems exist older the central issue for development efforts with older
debates sobre cuestiones women are consistently less likely to receive full benefits people. The aim must be to address the two issues of
que afectan a sus vidas. due to factors such as lack of continuous employment. poverty and exclusion, which deny older people a place in
Where people have to rely on their own resources, women the development process. Our aim must be to enable their
La Asamblea de Madrid es less likely to have property, or other assets of their own. In participation at all levels, from the local community to
también un punto de partida HelpAge’s Tanzania study farm income generated by central government policy making. We must help older
de un viaje más largo, cuyas women was found to go to husband when crops were sold, people to participate in ways that are appropriate to them.
etapas importantes vendrán and this is common elsewhere. The risk of fall into absolute
dentro de pocos años a me- poverty (for example, due to the husband’s death) is great The World Assembly provides just such an opportunity.
dida que todos nosotros tra- for many older women. A further disadvantage is that lack Older people from all over the world will be meeting there
bajemos para asegurar que of educational opportunities restrict a woman’s ability to with representatives of governments and civil society, and
los gobiernos, los organismos enter the labour market. Thus, despite older women’s older people will have an opportunity to influence the
internacionales y la sociedad unpaid work. such as household chores and child-minding, debate on issues affecting their lives. Yet the Assembly is
civil llevan a cabo los com- the life pattern for many women is permanent dependency, also a starting point on a longer journey, the important
promisos realizados en Ma- due not so much to age, and more to family events (such stages of which will come in the next few years as we all
drid de trabajar en favor de as the death or remarriage of a household head), over work to ensure that governments, international agencies
las personas mayores del which she has no control. and civil society carry through the commitments made in
mundo. Madrid to work for the benefit of the world’s older people.
Sesenta y más 41
