24 May 1989

15th plenary meeting

Elderly women

The Economic and Social Council,

Aware that women constitute a majority of the older population and that in the years to come the number of elderly women will increase more rapidly in the developing countries than in the developed ones,

Recognizing the important contribution that these women have made throughout their lives, in particular during their older years, to social, economic and cultural activities, both paid and unpaid,

Concerned that, as they age, women are increasingly exposed to marginalization or to poverty,

Bearing in mind its resolution 1989/50 of 24 May 1989, in which it called upon the Commission on the Status of Women to give particular attention to the specific problems faced by elderly women,

1. Recommends that concerted efforts be undertaken or strengthened at the national, regional and international levels in order to enable women to meet the challenges they face during their lives, in particular during their older years;

2. Recommends that, within existing budgetary resources or, where necessary, with the help of extrabudgetary or voluntary resources, the organizations of the United Nations system concerned provide to the bodies responsible for the advancement of women information enabling them to undertake a precise and in-depth analysis of the situation of elderly women, if necessary developing specific new methods for data collection;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to organize a seminar, within available budgetary resources, to study questions arising from the above-mentioned analysis and to transmit the results of the study to the Commission on the Status of Women;

4. Encourages Governments to ensure that women increase their participation in social and economic progress throughout their lives;

5. Urges Governments, in co-operation with the non-governmental organizations concerned, to strengthen activities for the benefit of elderly women, taking better account of their specific needs;

6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women, in carrying out its review and appraisal of the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, to devote particular attention to the current and future situation of elderly women throughout the world.