Juni 15: Siku ya Kupinga Ukatili dhidi ya Wazee

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Ukatili dhidi ya Wazee unatajwa kuwa tatizo kubwa katika Nchi zinazoendelea na zilizoendelea, japokuwa linaripotiwa kwa kiwango kidogo

Inakadiriwa kuwa, kati ya Mwaka 2019 - 2030 idadi ya Watu wenye umri kuanzia miaka 60 na kuendelea itaongezeka kwa 38%, kutoka Bilioni 1 hadi Bilioni 1.4. Hii inamaanisha jitihada kubwa zinahitajika kutatua changamoto zinazowakibili Wazee, zikiwemo zile zinazokiuka #HakiZaBinadamu

Kwa mujibu wa takwimu za Umoja wa Mataifa, Mtu 1 kati ya 6 mwenye umri wa miaka 60 na kuendelea amepitia aina fulani ya ukatili katika Jamii mwaka uliopita

Inaelezwa kuwa, mara nyingi wanaofanya ukatili dhidi ya Wazee wapo kwenye nafasi ya kuaminiwa, mfano Wanafamilia. Ukatili huu unaweza kutokea kwa aina mbalimbali ikiwemo;

1) Kisaikolojia: Inahusisha udhalilishaji, vitisho, matusi na kutopewa nafasi ya kufanya maamuzi mwenyewe

2) Kimwili: Wazee wanaofanyiwa ukatili huu wanaweza kupigwa na kufanyiwa vitendo vingine kama hivyo vinavyoweza kuwaumiza

3) Kifedha: Fedha au mali zao kutumiwa vibaya au hata kuibwa

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Addressing Elder Abuse​

Between 2019 and 2030, the number of persons aged 60 years or over is projected to grow by 38%, from 1 billion to 1.4 billion, globally outnumbering youth, and this increase will be the greatest and the most rapid in the developing world, and recognizing that greater attention needs to be paid to the specific challenges affecting older persons, including in the field of human rights.

Elder abuse is a problem that exists in both developing and developed countries yet is typically underreported globally. Prevalence rates or estimates exist only in selected developed countries — ranging from 1% to 10%. Although the extent of elder mistreatment is unknown, its social and moral significance is obvious. As such, it demands a global multifaceted response, one which focuses on protecting the rights of older persons.

Approaches to define, detect and address elder abuse need to be placed within a cultural context and considered along side culturally specific risk factors. For example, in some traditional societies, older widows are subjected to forced marriages while in others, isolated older women are accused of witchcraft. From a health and social perspectives, unless both primary health care and social service sectors are well equipped to identify and deal with the problem, elder abuse will continue to be underdiagnosed and overlooked.

Did you know?​

• Around 1 in 6 people 60 years and older experienced some form of abuse in community settings during the past year.
• Rates of elder abuse are high in institutions such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities, with 2 in 3 staff reporting that they have committed abuse in the past year.
• Rates of elder abuse have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Elder abuse can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences.
• Elder abuse is predicted to increase as many countries are experiencing rapidly ageing populations.
• The global population of people aged 60 years and older will more than double, from 900 million in 2015 to about 2 billion in 2050.

Source: UN