Zontians celebrate International Day of Older Persons

By 2050, 20 million people will be over the age of 60, with most of them in underdeveloped countries. Every country is being impacted by the growth of an older population, and countries need to find ways to treat that population with dignity, reduce ageism stereotypes, and find ways to make ways to respect the wisdom that that population can provide.

Zonta International UN Committee member, Mary Lou Shippe, attended the UN event of the 2025 International Day of Older Persons on 1 October. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Older persons driving global and local action – our aspirations, our well-being, our rights.”

The celebration included speeches, panel discussions, and information about older persons. Argentina has been a long-time proponent of action for this group of people and has been working with DESA and NGOs. Argentina established a working group to promote the rights of older persons. They are working on writing a convention to preserve the rights of older persons. The focus of the day was on the following wishes of older persons:

• Promotion of social inclusion
• Age-friendly environments
• Financial security
• Volunteer opportunities

Chile is another country promoting rights for older persons. They have passed a legally binding document resolution concerning the rights of older persons.

On 5 November, there will be the second world summit on social development in Doha. The rights of older people will be a part of the discussion to get the rights of older persons brought to the forefront.

13 OCTOBER 2025