07/03/2026
✨Older women have shaped families, economies and communities across the Commonwealth for decades — yet their contributions remain largely invisible in global gender policy.
This International Women’s Day – 8 March , Ann Keeling , Board Director at CommonAge, reflects on the vital role older women play across the Commonwealth’s 56 nations — and why recognising their rights, leadership and economic contributions has never been more important.
🌎Across the Commonwealth, older women have sustained families and communities for generations. They care for grandchildren, support families through crisis, work in agriculture and informal economies, and preserve cultural knowledge that strengthens societies.
Yet much of this contribution remains unpaid, unrecognised and often overlooked.
📢As global populations age, the issue is becoming increasingly urgent. By 2050, the number of older people across Commonwealth countries will rise significantly, with women living longer than men in every member state. Too often, however, those additional years are lived with limited financial security, weaker social protection and greater health challenges.
At the same time, global momentum for change is building. In 2025, the UN Human Rights Council agreed to begin drafting a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons — a potential milestone for protecting the rights and dignity of older people worldwide.
For older women, this could be transformative.
In her article, Ann highlights five key areas where action is urgently needed:
✅Economic security – recognising unpaid care work and expanding social pensions
✅Protection from abuse and injustice – ensuring older women have access to legal protections
✅Health and care systems – creating age-inclusive healthcare and long-term care services
✅Participation and leadership – ensuring older women’s voices are represented in policy and decision-making
✅Tackling ageism and sexism together – addressing the “double discrimination” older women often face
The Commonwealth — home to more than 2.5 billion people — has a unique opportunity to lead on this issue. With strong civil society collaboration, including organisations such as CommonAge, member states can demonstrate how ageing societies can be inclusive, equitable and resilient.
🌎International Women’s Day is therefore not only a moment to celebrate women’s achievements — it is also a moment to recognise older women as leaders, contributors, carers and knowledge holders whose rights must be fully recognised and protected.
🔎 Further global perspective from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs:
https://lnkd.in/dE5nYpVm
đź’¬ How can governments and organisations better recognise and support the contributions of older women?
