Further to ICJW Policy II.C on the Needs of Older Persons,
and considering that ICJW holds non-governmental status at the United Nations and other
world forums
giving voice to civil-society
i
ssues, and noting for the last decade
ICJW
representatives to the
UN in
Geneva and New York have participated regularly in the NGO Committee on Ageing;
Whereas individual ICJW affiliates have
supported projects on ageing and have advocated for women
of all ages;
The International Council of Jewish Women, meeting at their Convention in Jerusalem on May 25, 2022,
1. Urges a human rights approach in its support for the protection of older persons, especially women, consistent with existing human rights standards and laws;
2. Exhorts the ICJW representatives to the United Nations forums to continue to support a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons;
3. Recognizes that older persons, particularly older women, are faced with “ageism,” which adversely affects their participation in society, and are confronted with multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination (gender, age, disabilities), thus requiring added protection against violence, abuse, and neglect;
4. Recommends all international representatives to use “women of all ages” in official documents in adherence to the adoption by the UN of “Leaving No One Behind”;
5. Urges continuing to act as an anti-discrimination organization by requiring governments to collect data, develop indicators, establish laws and policies, and develop programs that take into account the human rights, dignity, and concerns of older persons, especially of older women;
6. Notes the International Day of Older Persons (October 1) and the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) and urges its affiliates to plan appropriate programs in order to promote the messages inherent in this date.