‘Age must never diminish rights,’ UN independent expert warns

Older women around the world face violence, exploitation and neglect, yet remain largely invisible in the laws, policies, data and services designed to protect women overall, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday.Key pointsAn estimated 664 million women were aged 60 or older in 2025, a number projected to reach 1.13 billion by 2050A new report examines violence against older women as a distinct and intersectional issue rooted in discrimination, ageism and inequality‘Invisible’ violenceReem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on the causes and consequences of violence against women and girls, called for urgent action by States to ensure that a woman’s right to live free from violence does not diminish with age.“Women should not lose their right to live free from violence because they grow older,” Ms. Alsalem said in her latest report to the General Assembly. “Too often, ageism and sexism combine to make violence against older women invisible, tolerated or treated as an inevitable part of ageing.”She said older women are rights holders, knowledge bearers and active members of society, adding that their age “must never be used to diminish their dignity, autonomy or protection”...