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Sri Lankans Are they growing old before becoming rich ?

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9 October 2018 12:06 am - 0     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The esteemed panel comprised key representatives from the Government of Sri Lanka, experts and policy leaders
Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

 

 

Ageing is inevitable. In the world, the number of people aged 60 years and over has tripled since 1950, reaching 600 million in 2000 and surpassing 700 million in 2006. It’s projected that the combined senior and geriatric population will reach 2.1 billion by 2050.   


Sri Lanka, with the highest ageing population in the whole of South Asia, has around 14.6 million out of a total of 21 million people who are over the age of 55 years. By 2030, 1 in 5 people in Sri Lanka will be above the age of 60. While ageing is a triumph of development that indicates Sri Lanka’s continuous investment in the well-being of its people, is Sri Lanka ready to face this rapid demographic transition?   


Is Sri Lanka ready to face the unprecedented problem that the elderly population will soon outnumber the young population, leading to many social, health and economic problems? Can we accompany our elder population to a place where they can contribute more to the development of the country through their experiences and maturity or will they be vulnerable to productivity and be more affected with non-communicable diseases of which costs are skyrocketing in the country at present?   


To mark ‘International Day of Older Persons’, which is commemorated on October 1, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Primary Industries convened the first of a series of high-level policy dialogues, titled ‘Ageing Without Limits: Enhancing Policies: Maximizing Potentials’ which aimed to provide policy-level inputs to maximise the opportunity of the population ageing with International guest speakers.   


 

The youth in Sri Lanka need to be informed of the benefits of savings and investments for a pre-retirement plan, so that it will in future ease the requirements for financial subsidies


Minister Daya Gamage

 



Making active ageing a reality


According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Active Ageing concept refers to the continuing participation in social, economic, cultural, spiritual and civic affairs, not just the ability to be physically active or to participate in the labour force.   


The theme for the first UNFPA policy dialogue was ‘Making Active Ageing a Reality’, and it focused on how population ageing must be addressed through an evidence-based approach, life-cycle approach, and rights-based approach. The evidence-based approach focuses on the role of data that informs policy decisions. The lifecycle approach highlights the need to invest in youth to ensure they age with economic security and life skills. The rights-based approach relates to socio-cultural aspects of ageing, such as the gender dimension and the need to shift the traditional role of elderly women as caregivers.   


The esteemed panel comprised key representatives from the Government of Sri Lanka and experts and policy leaders, including Dr. Karen Makishima, Member, House of Representatives in Japan, and Prof. Rahmiah Ibrahim, Head of Department of Human Development and Family Studies of University Putra, Malaysia.   


 

Financing the elder population must be considered by countries. In Malaysia, we have multi-sectoral support for the aged
Prof. Rahimah Ibrahim

 



Raising awareness of the youth


In his opening remarks, Daya Gamage, Minister of Social Welfare and Primary Industries stated that Sri Lanka will be the 3rd aged society in Asia by 2030 and this demographic shift is an opportunity for the Government to create a conductive environment to utilise the wealth of the experience and knowledge that the elderly can contribute to the society.   


“The increase in the older population will turn out to create several social problems. However, the present Government greets this demographic transition with pleasure and it is considered as a great opportunity for the country’s future. Apart from the civil servants and employers of the organised sectors, elderly persons in the informal sector are not sufficiently covered by pension or insurance schemes.   


Not just Sri Lanka, but many countries are currently mulling over the introduction of a contributory method to address the requirements of the elderly in the informal category. The youth in Sri Lanka need to be informed of the benefits of savings and investments for a pre-retirement plan, so that it will in future ease the requirements for financial subsidies,” Minister Gamage stated.   


He also said that the Ministry of Social Welfare and National Institute of Social Development will train 10,000 youth for the provision of care for elders during the coming two years. According to him the Cabinet has already approved funds for the project.   


Women who rely on their families or their partners may not know how to access resources because the literacy level of older women is relatively lower than older men


Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle

 



Maximising the potential of older persons


Japan, having a super-ageing society, has identified four aspects of contemporary provision that offer potential gains in quality of life and health. Those four aspects are nutritional support, life rehabilitation, mandated staffing ratios and seasonality and cultural practice.   


Member, House of Representatives, Japan, Dr. Karen Makishima, said, “Japan is the front runner of an ageing society. We have established and are considering various policies to prepare for 100 years of life, including re-education systems and plans to abolish the retirement age and introduce a re-employment system”.   
Meanwhile, Representative of UNFPA Sri Lanka Ritsu Nacken said, “Preparing for an ageing population is vital for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to ensure that no one is left behind. This is why it is important to maximise the potential of older persons, especially of elderly women”.   
“Here in Sri Lanka the population is rapidly ageing. According to standard projections, the number of people aged 60 years and over will double by 2050. Therefore, it is the right time to have a policy dialogue on the ageing population. There has to be a human rights approach when looking into the ageing population issue. We also have to recognise that population ageing is a result of achievements,” Nacken said.   


Japan is the front runner of an ageing society. We have established and are considering various policies to prepare for 100 years of life, including re-education systems and plans to abolish the retirement age


Dr. Karen Makishima

 



Gender dimensions of population ageing


Nacken further stated, “The majority of the elders in Sri Lanka are women because women outreach men in this island. Women face vulnerability in the country mainly because female labour participation is very low. Therefore, female elders may not have a social protection system compared to men. We have to ensure that women have a better life in the older age too. We also need to think of a transformation of the basic family care system into a holistic society wide protection system, which will ultimately address the gender issue also”.  


Adding to Nacken’s opinion, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Member of Parliament said, “As we all know Sri Lankan women enjoy a longer life than men. Of the total elder population, 56% are women and 61% of them are 80 years and above. As a result women who rely on their families or their partners may not know how to access resources because the literacy level of older women is relatively lower than older men. Women may also face other social issues and challenges. As women age, there is an increased risk of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD),”she said.


Prof. Rahimah Ibrahim, Head of Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University Putra Malaysia, said, “Between 2020 and 2046, Malaysia’s 65+ population will double from 7% to 14%. Financing the elder population must be considered by countries. In Malaysia, we have multi-sectoral support for the aged, from the Government, Private Sector, and Civil Society,” said Ibrahim. 


Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo, was also one of the distinguished members of the panel. He highlighted the importance of data and feminisation of ageing, among other important points. The panel was moderated by Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, Executive Director, Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute. Officials from the Government, international community, civil society, academia, and the media engaged in the dialogue. UNFPA said it would continue this series of dialogues to provide inputs to strengthen policies and support the development and implementation of a holistic system to ensure Sri Lanka is prepared to maximise the opportunity of this demographic transition.

 


 

Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake highlighted the importance of data and feminisation of ageing, among other important points

 


 


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