More than a quarter of the elderly in Moldova (28.6%) have suffered violence and abuse while in a quarter of cases, the abuser was a member of the family or close to the person, says Breaking the Silence: Elder abuse in the Republic of Moldova, one of the first reports addressing violence and discrimination against older people in Moldova.
The study by HelpAge International and the National Centre for Demographic Research shows that violence and abuse of older people in Moldova is recognised but in 80 per cent of cases, violence is unreported.
According to the report, psychological and emotional violence is the most common at 14 per cent, followed by economic violence at 11 per cent and physical violence at 4 per cent.
Discriminatory attitudes and prejudices result in low rates of employment with only 11.6 per cent of older people employed in Moldova. Their social lives are limited to the family, where more than half of older people (57.9%) do not engage in activities outside the home.
Poverty among older people is a major policy priority. According to the report, more than half of older people do not have enough money to meet their needs and poverty is higher in rural areas.
“Everyone has equal rights including the right to live with dignity and this does not change with age,” said Tatiana Sorocan, Country Director of HelpAge International. “However, this research shows that more than a quarter of older people in Moldova experience violence and abuse. We need to make sure that age friendly services are developed and appropriate campaigns are held to raise awareness and stop discrimination and abuse happening in future. HelpAge strives to make sure that older people are included in policies affecting them so they can live safe, secure lives and their rights are respected.”
The presentation of the reports’ findings to the first round-table addressing ageing in the Republic of Moldova will be followed by a panel discussion with government officials, experts, UNFPA, HelpAge and World Bank representatives on the available options and policy priorities to address Moldova’s demographic challenges.
‘’Societies are aging across Europe and central Asia but individuals are not – a demographic trend driven by declining fertility rates rather than increased longevity,’’ said the Senior Economist of the World Bank, Mr Johannes Koettl, presenting the report Golden Aging: Prospects for Healthy, Active and Prosperous Aging in Europe and Central Asia.
In many countries across the region, including the Republic of Moldova, a common perception is that pensions and health systems will come under pressure because an increasing number of older people will depend on the contributions of fewer workers to sustain these systems, he said. But if governments enable individuals to participate more and longer in the labour market, dependency ratios could remain quite stable.
The report concludes that a successful policy package for addressing ageing must cover the whole lifecycle – supporting education, families, work, and retirement.
Ian McFarlane, UNFPA Representative in Moldova said that: “All the policies and actions have to be based on two main principles. First, they should be based on accurate data about the economic realities. Second, the basic human rights of older people should be at the core of the government interventions.”
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