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Gender and Aging in the Developing World: Where Are the Men?

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  • John Knodel
  • Mary Beth Ofstedal

Abstract

In recent years, both population aging and gender issues have gained prominence in international forums concerned with population. It is frequently asserted or implied that older women are universally more vulnerable to social, economic, and health disadvantages than older men. The most significant manifestation of this exclusive concern with women when considering gender and aging is the Plan of Action adopted by the Second World Assembly on Aging in 2002. The assumed relative disadvantage of elderly women is commonly attributed to gender differences in earlier life experiences. But are older women truly disadvantaged globally with respect to all or most essential aspects of well‐being? The authors provide empirical evidence that clearly shows that older women are not invariably disadvantaged vis‐à‐vis men. In particular, they call into question the wisdom and equity of a virtually exclusive emphasis on the needs of women when incorporating gender concerns into policies and programs related to aging. A more balanced perspective that recognizes gender as a potential, but not necessarily central, marker of vulnerability for various aspects of well‐being in specific settings and times, and that allows for male as well as female disadvantage, would serve the current and future elderly generations far better.

Suggested Citation

  • John Knodel & Mary Beth Ofstedal, 2003. "Gender and Aging in the Developing World: Where Are the Men?," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 29(4), pages 677-698, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:popdev:v:29:y:2003:i:4:p:677-698
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2003.00677.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Bennett, Rachel & Chepngeno-Langat, Gloria & Evandrou, Maria & Falkingham, Jane, 2016. "Gender differentials and old age survival in the Nairobi slums, Kenya," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 107-116.
    2. Sara Randall & Ernestina Coast, 2016. "The quality of demographic data on older Africans," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 34(5), pages 143-174.
    3. Kathryn Yount, 2009. "Gender and Intergenerational Co-residence in Egypt and Tunisia," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 28(5), pages 615-640, October.
    4. Social Policy and Population Section, Social Development Division, ESCAP., 2010. "Asia-Pacific Population Journal Volume 25, No. 2," Asia-Pacific Population Journal, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), vol. 25(2), pages 1-144, November.
    5. Anoshua Chaudhuri, 2009. "Spillover Impacts of a Reproductive Health Program on Elderly Women in Rural Bangladesh," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 113-125, June.
    6. Jiquan Peng & Juan Chen & Liguo Zhang, 2022. "Gender-Differentiated Poverty among Migrant Workers: Aggregation and Decomposition Analysis of the Chinese Case for the Years 2012–2018," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-23, May.
    7. Fomba Louisette Naah & Aloysius Mom Njong & Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi, 2020. "Determinants of Active and Healthy Ageing in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Cameroon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-24, April.
    8. Kathryn Yount & Zeinab Khadr, 2008. "Gender, Social Change, and Living Arrangements Among Older Egyptians During the 1990s," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 27(2), pages 201-225, April.
    9. Enid Schatz & Margaret Ralston & Sangeetha Madhavan & Mark A Collinson & F Xavier Gómez-Olivé, 2018. "Living Arrangements, Disability and Gender of Older Adults Among Rural South Africa," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 73(6), pages 1112-1122.
    10. Gabriela Flores & Clémence Kieny & Jürgen Maurer, 2022. "Deconstructing Gender Differences in Experienced Well-Being Among Older Adults in the Developing World: The Roles of Time Use and Activity-Specific Affective Experiences," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 757-790, April.
    11. Akshaya Kumar Panigrahi, 2009. "Determinants of Living Arrangements of Elderly in Orissa: An Analysis," Working Papers 228, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
    12. Freda Yanrong Wang, 2022. "Causal Inference Between the Health Status and Living Arrangements of Elderly People in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 1155-1178, February.
    13. Michal Isaacson & Ashwin Tripathi & Tannistha Samanta & Lisa D’Ambrosio & Joseph Coughlin, 2020. "Giving Voice to the Environment as the Silent Partner in Aging: Examining the Moderating Roles of Gender and Family Structure in Older Adult Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-19, June.
    14. Clémence Kieny & Gabriela Flores & Jürgen Maurer, 2021. "Assessing and decomposing gender differences in evaluative and emotional well-being among older adults in the developing world," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 189-221, March.
    15. Kathryn Yount & Emily Agree, 2005. "Differences in disability among older women and men in Egypt and Tunisia," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(1), pages 169-187, February.

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