/ 21 October 2016

Older, but not always happier

Scapegoats: Elderly women in some parts of the continent
Scapegoats: Elderly women in some parts of the continent
BODY LANGUAGE

People are living longer. Medical advances and improving health care have contributed to this.

In 1980, there were 378-million people aged 60 and older. Today the figure stands at 759-million — 10% of the global population. By 2050 it’s projected to almost triple — about 21% of the world’s population will be older people.

Africa is no exception. This age group is growing faster than the continent’s total population. People older than 60 make up 5% of Africa’s population; by 2050 it should sit at about 9%.

But long lives are not necessarily happy ones. Older people continue to experience isolation, poverty, abuse and violence but have very little access to health services.

Worse, in some places older women are targeted for being witches. They are chased from their homes, beaten and sometimes murdered. This is particularly prevalent in Tanzania, Ghana and South Africa.

Legislation exists to protect these vulnerable groups. Some is specific to individual countries, while other protocols form part of international law. But many people don’t understand these laws. More human rights education is crucial if what’s on paper is to become a reality.

Data collected by HelpAge International, an organisation that works to help senior citizens live a more dignified and healthy life, shows that in 2012 in Tanzania more than 600 people, most of whom were women, were accused of witchcraft and murdered.

In 2013 the number rose to more than 750. It has declined slightly since then, but remains high — about 400 people a year are murdered after being accused of witchcraft. Most of the victims were elderly, and most were women.

These victims are often singled out because of their physical features — particularly reddened eyes and bald heads. Red eyes are caused by cooking in small, poorly ventilated homes and many are also disabled in some way, suffering from the after-effects of leprosy — physically handicapped or visually impaired.

Women who are labelled witches are blamed for a host of misfortunes. This includes droughts, family tragedies, impotence, infertility and illnesses such as HIV and Aids. Essentially, they become scapegoats.

Attacks are often driven by a group known as Sungusungu. It claims to be a crime-prevention unit, protecting villagers in rural Tanzania from cattle rustlers and working towards safer communities. But a great deal of its focus is on controlling women’s behaviour.

Sungusungu presents itself as an organisation of peacemakers. But it uses violence, such as caning alleged criminals in front of the village to resolve disputes.

The government has prosecuted some of these witch killers. Yet, this hasn’t done anything to dissuade those who target elderly women.

What can be done to change these superstitions and misconceptions? Legislation provides a starting point to enforce women’s rights, but more work is needed to help people understand and obey the law.

The special rapporteur on the rights of women is one of the special mechanisms overseen by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The rapporteur’s protocol is especially forward-thinking in that it outlines special protection for elderly women and women with disabilities. It is complemented by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

But most of this excellent legislation is never shared with people.

In Tanzania, the majority of legislation is made available on websites in English but Swahili is the country’s official language.

Documents and protocols need to be translated into local languages, including Swahili, and distributed in hard copy to the wider population. This takes legislation to the people who most need to understand it and enact its values.

There are other measures that can be taken to educate Tanzanians about protocols that look good on paper but don’t manifest in daily life.

The government could also consider funding the development of literature about older people and their rights. It could also ask international aid agencies and donor countries to insist on policies and education programmes about the plight of older people.

There is a lot of room to enhance human rights education at local level. Local government leaders such as councillors, street leaders and religious leaders ought to be involved in providing such education, since they are in the heart of communities and have great influence.

Finally, specialised human rights education programmes should be developed for police officers and prosecutors. This is crucial to ensure that prosecutions continue and the people who target elderly women are brought to justice. — theconversation.com

Simon Ngalomba lectures in educational management at the University of Dar es Salaam. Paul Harpur is a senior lecturer in the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland, Australia