On the International Day of Older Persons, the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, made the following statement:
«If we now live in a democratic, economically advanced country that has a Constitution that preserves man’s inviolable rights, we owe it to the elderly, bearers of a heritage of values which we have the duty to hand unscathed to future generations.
This year, the theme of this International Day is the resilience of older persons in a changing world, with a particular focus on women and on the spirit with which they face global challenges.
The Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted the existing inequalities, especially when it comes to women, who constitute the majority of older persons in the world and must tackle economic insecurity and the risk of poverty more than men in the same age group. Nevertheless, older women continue to put significant effort in all spheres of political, civil, economic, social, and cultural life, contributing in a way that is too often overlooked or taken for granted. It is women that, in old age too, very often keep on playing a crucial caregiving role in families, tending to relatives who are disabled and not self-sufficient. We therefore cannot think we can effectively address the issue of population ageing – and the relevant problems and opportunities – without taking due account of the specific characteristics of women.
Unfortunately, old age also entails fragility: the number of non-independent older persons is bound to increase and each one of us must do all he or she can, by virtue of the bond of gratitude that binds each generation to the one that preceded it, in order tomake sure that everyone, in all seasons of life, may live a decent life».
Rome, 1 October 2022
