UN report on violence against older women

Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, issued a report to the UN General Assembly addressing the systemic violence, exploitation, and neglect faced by older women. The report highlights how the intersection of ageism and sexism often renders such violence invisible or treats it as an unavoidable part of aging.

As the global population of women aged 60 or older is projected to grow from 664 million in 2025 to 1.13 billion by 2050, Alsalem warns that this demographic remains largely excluded from laws, data, and protection services. Identified harms include physical, psychological, sexual, and economic abuse, alongside coercive control, abandonment, and technology-facilitated violence. Specific risks include the exploitation of pensions and property, digital exclusion, and the denial of healthcare.

The report notes that vulnerability is heightened for marginalized groups, including widows, migrant women, rural women, and women with disabilities, who face significant barriers to reporting abuse or seeking justice.