Stop Elder Abuse and Promote dignified ageing for national development

Stop Elder Abuse and Promote Dignified Ageing for National Development

The World Elderly Abuse Awareness Day is an opportunity to draw attention to the existence and impact of abuses metered to Older Persons including ageism in Uganda, changing community attitudes and building a world where all people of all ages are valued, and respected and their contributions are acknowledged. The activities are intended to support the growing social movement to shift attitudes towards older people and provided resources and tools to take action to end ageism.

In Uganda, the National celebrations under the UN General Assembly were commemorated on 15^th June as” World Elderly Abuse Awareness Day” (WEAAD), 01 October International Day for Older Persons (IDOP)”. Annually these days are organized by Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) in partnership with Older Persons care organizations including URAA, Help Age International, ROTOM, National Council for Older Persons (NCOP) other Special Interest Groups representatives, Resident District Commissioners (RDC), and among others. The event gathers different stakeholders with a heart for older persons including experts who present the latest research on subjects that address the status of older persons in regard to health, financial security, poverty, human rights, age discrimination, health, social security, lifelong learning, elder abuse, age-friendly environments, autonomy, independence and other relevant topics as well as issues addressed at council or municipal chairing committee meetings. This aims at providing interventions for Cabinet Officials, State Ministers to advocate for the promotion, protection and realization of the human rights of older people in line with Uganda’s Constitutional laws under Article 32 clause (1).

2022 outcomes from the national celebrations included:

• URAA worked with other Age Care organizations to develop a letter and submitted a petition on Elderly Abuse in Uganda to the State Minister for Elderly Affairs on issues that Elders encounter as a way for more policy advocacy against ageism.
• Pledges were made to join arms in the lobby towards ensuring the Protection of Older Persons as well as the reduction in the Age of Older persons to access Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) from the present 80 years to at least 70 years and Special Enterprise Grant for Older Persons (SEGOP).
• Community leaders, researchers and policymakers joined the celebrations to make their voices heard and learn of best practices and policies that improve the lives and dignity of older persons.
• Older people become more familiar with laws that protect them from abuse and grant access to justice, through government officials’ support to offer services to older persons and support their initiatives.

Compiled by ANENA ANNA