There is a misplaced belief that older persons are catered for by their children and families but that’s not always the case, an advocacy group has said.
Elie Mugabowishema, the president of Nsindagiza, an organisation that seeks to promote the welfare of senior citizens in the country, said Tuesday, June 16, that elder persons often suffer at the hands of their own children and need additional protection.
He was speaking to The New Times on the occasion of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, an international day dedicated to drawing attention to the plight of elder persons with a view to improving their situation.
"In Rwanda, like elsewhere in Africa, there is a false belief that older persons are respected and cared for by their families and the community in general,” Mugabowishema said.
On the contrary, he noted, "this is sometimes not the case as there are situations where elder persons are beaten up by their own children; they force them to hand over their property to them, and this is illegal.”
Yet there are no deliberate efforts designed to prevent these abuses, he added.
Elder abuse
Elder abuse is defined as ‘a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship in which trust would be expected, causing harm or distress to an older person’. It is a global social issue that affects the physical and mental health of older persons.
Figures show that the number of elder persons has more than doubled from 231,999 in 1978 to over 511,000, Mugabowishema said.
Globally, it is estimated that the world’s population aged 60 years and older will total two billion by 2050, up from 900 million in 2015. Today, 125 million people around the world are aged 80 years or older.
The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), marked annually on June 15, was officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011.
The WEAAD is not marked in Rwanda, which Mugabowindeke says is "unfortunate.”
This year, the day was held under the theme, "Access to Justice”, which served "as a reminder of the need to fully address the (issues affecting) older persons who may seek recourse, who have experienced situations of violence, abuse and neglect.”
He added that abused older persons often "face multiple barriers in accessing judicial remedies such as issues of accessibility, affordability, reasonable accommodation, excessive delays and backlogs in judicial processes, impact of digitalization, cultural norms, gender bias, discrimination, and entrenched ageism in policy, norms and practices.”
The activist also weighed in on mechanisms for formal complaints in case of abuses.
‘Instrumental’ new national policy
"If we consider that lodging of formal complaints takes place online and that the majority of older persons are not well versed with technology, the cost of defence is high considering the capabilities of most older persons,” he said. "There should be a specific chamber or other (another mechanism) for older persons to have more access to justice as their rights and not pity.”
He, however, pointed out that today "more than ever, the government is preparing to change systems, policies and legal environment” to improve the welfare of elder persons. At the policy level, he noted that, the government ratified the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Older Persons (in 2019), while it also approved the National Older Persons’ Policy in May 2021.
The national policy covers 3 major aspects, namely; health-related challenges caused by old age through ensuring easy access to health care and follow up on insurance provision, economic preparedness for elderly people from both formal and informal sector through Ejo heza saving scheme and other social protection services; as well as intergenerational solidarity with view to creating a bridge between the elderly and young generations.
‘Multi-sectoral approach needed’
Jean-Bosco Nyemazi, the executive secretary, Rwanda Civil Society Platform, said the recently endorsed national policy on elderly persons was an important instrument, but called for collaborative efforts to ensure it’s fully implemented.
"We expect to see an improvement in the livelihoods of elder people,” he said. "But, there is need for a deliberate multi-sectoral approach that links civil society organisations, MINALOC (Ministry of Local Government) and other actors to allow for a comprehensive effort.”
He added: "Legal and policy frameworks need to be tightened to protect these elderly persons as well as a community accountability approach to fight against ageism in society.”
Godfrey Kayiganwa, a social protection specialist at MINALOC, said the new policy on older persons will help significantly improve the welfare of senior citizens.