The #AgeingEqual campaign is the first European-wide effort to raise awareness that human rights do not diminish with age. It calls for equal rights at all ages and raise awareness of the harmful consequences of ageism.
Ageism leads to widespread marginalisation, poverty and abuse of older people and has negative impacts on their health and well-being. Ageism is everywhere, but we tend to deny its negative effects, we do not consider it as serious and harmful as other forms of discrimination and we fail to take action to counter ageism.
Our objectives
With the #AgeingEqual campaign we aim to:
- Establish a long-lasting community of self-advocates and invite older people to become champions of the fight for equality
- Create platform for older people to have a voice and tell their personal stories of ageing and older age
- Raise awareness of the magnitude and gravity of ageism as a barrier to equality, freedom, and participation in older age
Our history
#AgeingEqual started in 2018 with the ambition to raise awareness of ageism as the main obstacle to fully enjoy human rights in older age. Building on the momentum of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the campaign lasted for 70 days, from 1st October – International Day of Older Persons, to 10th December 2018 – International Human Rights Day.
It rallied older campaigners, researchers, civil society leaders, policy makers, to recall that seventy years after its adoption, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is just as powerfully relevant as it was on its first day.
In 2019, the #AgeingEqual campaign was shaped as an invitation to take action to change the way older persons and ageing is perceived in our societies. This year, the campaign will aim at breaking down the stereotypes of older people as passive and dependent through visible activism by older persons themselves!
The #AgeingEqual campaign takes place every year around the 1st October 2018, the International Day of Older Persons. It covers 10 specific themes aiming to illustrate the widespread effect of ageism and how it affects different groups in society. Click on the timeline below to learn more about each theme.
Solidarity
UDHR and final event
Ageism is everywhere! Start with the basics and get informed!
What is it like to face gender inequality and ageism?
How does ageism affect your right to work, access health, social protection and housing?
Did you know that older migrants struggle with additional disadvantages?
The best way to tackle ageism is to support intergenerational contacts and cooperation!
Older people do have intimate relationships: time to break the taboos!
Ageism is an additional exclusion mechanism for older people experiencing racism.
Because of ageism, abuse and mistreatment against older adults are less visible.
We do not stop to contribute to society as we age… far from it!
Some develop a disability with age, some age with disability but all have equal rights!
Blow the 70 candles with us to remind that Human Rights do not diminish with age!
AGE Platform Europe, the largest European network promoting the rights of older persons, has developed the #AgeingEqual campaign and this guide. We have partnered with equality bodies, human rights institutions, civil society organisations, international organisations and experts to spread the word about the campaign and share experiences of ageism from different groups in society. The full list of partners is available here.
AGE Platform Europe is supported through EU funding part of which has been used to work on this campaign.