Rights of Older People
Millions of older people around the globe experience human rights violations every year, ranging from age-based discrimination and social and political exclusion, to abuses in nursing facilities, neglect in refugee camps, and barriers to healthcare and other essential services. Most of these abuses go undocumented and those responsible not held to account. Covid-19 has exposed the dangerous price of ignoring the rights of older people. Never before in history have so many older people been living, and life expectancy in every region is increasing. Human Rights Watch works to improve the lives of older people today and in the future.
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Europe/Central Asia
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Africa“I would like a life where I can buy butter, jam, and tomato sauce.” It doesn’t seem like too much to ask for, but for a soft-spoken 80-year-old, Themba Magqadaza, it’s a distant reality.
Videos
Videos-
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US: Failure to Pass Build Back Better Act Imperils Rights
Can Advance Economic Justice, Fix Broken Safety Net, But More Needed
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Canada: Disastrous Impact of Extreme Heat
Failure to Protect Older People, People with Disabilities in British Columbia
News
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Mexico: States’ Inaction on Legal Capacity
‘Guardianship’ Provisions Harm People With Disabilities, Older People
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Swiss 'Senior Women' Take Government to Court over Climate Change
Failure to Reduce Emissions Threatens Human Rights
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Submission to the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing
Older People’s Economic Security: Normative Content
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Australia: Flood Response Failed to Protect Most at Risk
Inclusive Climate Action, Planning Needed to Address Extreme Weather
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‘Chemical Restraints’ Deprive Older People of Liberty
UN Expert Describes Care Facilities as de Facto Prisons
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Statement to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Multi-stakeholder Meeting on the Rights of Older Persons
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Europe Heatwaves Disastrous for Older People, People with Disabilities
Climate Crisis Needs Effective, Inclusive Heat Planning and Responses
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Joint Letter to Key US Government Leadership
Protect the Rights of People with Disabilities and Older People in Ukraine
