Our rights should not diminish just because we add years to our life. Rights apply equally to all people at all stages of life, including older age.
Yet in both Australia and globally, age is too often overlooked as a critical vulnerability. Ageism - like sexism and racism - is deeply entrenched and frequently goes unchallenged.
In international aid, vulnerability is typically defined by gender, disability, or displacement. But age can compound these factors, as older people may face mobility challenges, chronic health conditions, or social isolation. They risk being “invisible and voiceless” in policy and program design.
The global picture: Age discrimination in aid
Globally, older people and children are often excluded from needs assessments and program planning. The World Health Organisation notes that ageism is “highly prevalent” and, unlike other forms of discrimination, “socially accepted and usually unchallenged” due to its implicit nature.
This invisibility has serious consequences, especially in emergencies, where older people and those with disabilities face additional barriers to accessing aid, protection, and information.
Age can also exacerbate other vulnerabilities, such as gender. A Caritas Australia report Anchors in a Crisis looked at the role of women in grassroots aid and development, and found that:
“Older women are often excluded from community-level participation and decision-making, as NGOs and community-based organisations tend to pay less attention to older women and therefore do not discuss their issues.”
Addressing ageism aligns with the sector’s growing focus on intersectionality, which asks us to recognise that each person is multifaceted. In turn, if we fail to address age, we will always fall short of truly inclusive support.
Addressing ageism and realising the benefits of inclusivity
To address age discrimination, the aid sector must:
- Collect and use age-disaggregated data to ensure visibility in needs assessments.
- Involve people of all ages in program design and decision-making.
- Challenge ageist assumptions in humanitarian and development practice.
- Advocate for age-inclusive funding and policies at all levels.
Doing so leads to programming that involves people of all ages, which can unlock opportunity at every life stage.
Take for example a 69-year-old woman from Tanzania, who joined adult education classes in 2020 through the A+ Program. As a child, she couldn’t attend school due to distance, but her dream of learning never faded.
When adult classes became available in her village, she enrolled immediately. Despite being one of the oldest students, she completed her studies in reading and counting.
“Now I can read the holy books in church and even read with my grandchildren,” she shared.
Her story reminds us: it’s never too late to learn, grow, and contribute.
Why age-inclusive aid matters
Ageism is a barrier to older people realising their rights and being fully valued for who they are, not simply for whom they have been.
Morally and ethically, it stands to reason that we should address this prejudice, especially given the Sustainable Development Goals call us to “leave no one behind”, which must include people of all ages.
The notion of sustainability also leads us to conclude that age-inclusive aid is not just fair, it’s effective. Programs that include older people in design and delivery are more likely to succeed and be sustainable.
This is because ageism doesn’t just affect older individuals; it impacts families and communities as they pick up the slack of poor program design. Meanwhile, inclusive program design can support independence and dignity, strengthening outcomes across the board.
In short, we all have the right to live and age with respect, dignity and security. To enable that, age must be recognised as a core vulnerability in aid and development. Doing so will ensure no one is left behind, regardless of age.
Written by Robert Fitzgerald AM, Chair of Caritas Australia for the International Day for Older Persons
About Robert Fitzgerald
A lawyer by profession, Robert Fitzgerald, AM is currently the NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner, and Chair of Caritas Australia.
Robert has held roles as Productivity Commissioner, Community and Disability Services Commissioner, Deputy Ombudsman in NSW, and Chair of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Advisory Board. He was also a Commissioner on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, from 2013 to 2017.
Robert has worked with numerous faith-based and other non-government organisations including St Vincent de Paul Society, Australian Catholic Relief, the NSW Catholic Commission for Employment Relations, and the Australian Council of Social Services. He has previously been an Adjunct Professor at Australian Catholic University and University of Western Australia.
