Empowering Elderly Women in Bengaluru

According to a survey conducted in Bengaluru, 16% of elderly women admitted to experiencing abuse at the hands of their sons, relatives, and daughters-in-law. The survey, released by NGO HelpAge India on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, revealed that verbal and physical abuse, disrespect, economic exploitation, emotional abuse, and unwelcome sexual contact were prevalent forms of mistreatment.

The national report titled “Women & Ageing: Invisible or Empowered?” covered both rural and urban areas across 20 states, including Karnataka, and included a national sample size of 7,911 individuals aged 60-90 years. In Karnataka, the sample size, including Bengaluru, consisted of 578 elderly women.

The survey highlighted that 33% of senior women in Bengaluru were engaged in full-time or part-time employment, while 66% did not work. Among the working elderly women, 85% reported a supportive work environment. Additionally, 65% felt financially secure due to family support and government pensions. Despite the acknowledgment of elder abuse by 49% of respondents, only 16% of elderly women in Bengaluru disclosed experiencing abuse from their family members.

In Karnataka (excluding Bengaluru), 55% of elderly women were involved in employment, one of the highest figures in India for individuals aged 60-90. Almost all elder women in Karnataka (98%) expressed satisfaction with their workplaces’ support for senior citizens, and 58% felt financially secure due to family support.

The CEO of HelpAge India, Rohit Prasad, emphasized the need to address the neglect and invisibility that older women often face. He called for raising awareness about government welfare schemes, prioritizing pensions, healthcare, and economic participation programs, implementing special initiatives for elderly women, and establishing mechanisms to address elder abuse.

Re-reported from the article originally published in The Indian Express.