WEC Chair: ‘Overwhelming’ case for a Commissioner for Older People’s Rights in England
24 May 2024
The Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC), Rt Hon Caroline Nokes, has written to the Minister for Women and Equalities Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch to set out the key themes and conclusions of its inquiry into the rights of older people.
- Letter to the Minister for Women and Equalities, relating to the rights of older people
- Inquiry: The rights of older people
- Women and Equalities Committee
This follows the announcement by the Prime Minister of a General Election on July 4 which precludes publication of the Committee’s planned report.
Evidence heard by WEC during the inquiry ‘strongly supported’ the case for a Commissioner for Older People’s Rights in England.
In her letter, the WEC Chair writes: “Despite the UK’s ageing population and the fundamental challenges and opportunities this presents for government policy, there is insufficient focus on ageing and older people in the machinery of government and wider governance framework…I believe that the case for a Commissioner for Older People’s Rights in England is now overwhelming.”
She added: “There is strong evidence of very high prevalence of harmful ageist attitudes and discrimination across UK society. In every area we examined, there was evidence that ageism is not treated as seriously as other forms of discrimination, despite a wealth of evidence on its harms to individuals and society.
“This is reflected in media, advertising and press standards and codes; recruitment and employment practices; and the exceptional way the Equality Act treats age as a protected characteristic.”
The committee launched the inquiry in September 2023 to examine whether discrimination and ageist stereotyping, such as characterising older people as helpless or wealthy “boomers” is preventing them from participating fully in society.
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