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The Commissioner’s latest report ‘Are you ageist?’
The Commissioner for Older People says more needs to be done to tackle age-based discrimination in Northern Ireland, as his latest report finds almost half of older people have experienced ageism.
The Commissioner’s latest report ‘Are you ageist?’, which launched on 20 March 2024, details findings from extensive consultations his office carried out with older people in every county in Northern Ireland, alongside results from a survey of 333 older people.
The report found that:
- Almost half (49%) of older people surveyed in NI have experienced ageism.
- Almost two thirds (65%) agreed that older people were viewed as a burden to society and taken less seriously as they have gotten older.
- The vast majority (87%) believe that more government engagement is needed to tackle ageism and ageist attitudes.
- An overwhelming 95% agreed that older people have a lot to contribute to the workplace.
- Almost two thirds (63%) felt that modern workplaces do not cater for older people.
Speaking about his report, the Commissioner for Older People, Eddie Lynch, said: “The conversations I have had with many older people during our consultations and the results of the survey indicate that ageism is very much prevalent in Northern Ireland and is one of the most socially accepted forms of discrimination. As a society, we need to take ageism seriously, be aware of its harmful effects and work together to make sure we are not only addressing it in our policies and behaviours, but actively challenging it whenever we encounter it.”
As part of the research, the Commissioner held events with over 150 older people where they were invited to take part in a roundtable discussion and share their own experiences of ageism.
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Source: Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland
