UN Expert Warns of Invisibility and Violence Against Older Women

Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, has issued a report to the UN General Assembly highlighting the systemic neglect of older women. The report notes that while the population of women aged 60 and older is projected to grow from 664 million in 2025 to 1.13 billion by 2050, they remain largely invisible in laws, data, and protection services.

Alsalem warns that ageism and sexism often combine to make violence against older women appear inevitable or tolerable. The report identifies various forms of abuse, including physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence, as well as coercive control, neglect, and technology-facilitated abuse. Vulnerable groups, such as widows, migrants, rural women, and women with disabilities, face heightened risks of exploitation regarding their pensions and property.