The manifesto is a distillation of the key findings from the participatory research project, adapted into actions for policy makers, practitioners, researchers, artists and members of the public. Further to this we have used the manifesto to align ourselves with other relevant campaigns to demonstrate our solidarity with other movements fighting for social justice and racial and gender equality. The Manifesto declares that “Women over 50 have the right to EQUALITY, GOOD WORK, RECOGNITION OF UNPAID LABOUR and PARTICIPATE FULLY IN DECISION-MAKING". Under each category is a list of demands, endorsements, national and local actions that we hope will inspire continuing activism on the issues and findings of our project.
We declare that women over 50 have the right to
Equality
We declare that women over 50 have the right to
Good Work
We declare that women over 50 have the right to
Recognition of unpaid labour
We declare that women over 50 have the right to
Participate fully in decision-making
We demand
+
A right to be treated equally regardless
of age, gender, race, migration status,
religion, socio-economic status, disability
or sexual orientation.
+
Full pension equality and the end
to pension poverty for women.
+
Action is taken to address the gender
pay gap and the intersections of gender,
ethnicity and disability pay gaps which
contribute to a significant gender
pension gap.
We demand
+ Good work for all women.
+ Support and lifelong learning for all women to access good employment opportunities.
+ Employers adopt age and family friendly workplace practices which include lifecourse planning on pensions and other benefits.
We demand
+ An economic contribution for the unpaid labour of women.
+ Support for unpaid carers across the lifecourse.
+ The impact of altered lifecourses on all women be fully recognised, particularly the effect on economic, physical and mental well-being.
We demand
+ Participation in political decision- making on issues affecting women over 50.
+ Policy-makers take a lifecourse perspective to their decision-making.
+ Policy-makers recognise intersectionality, diversity and lived experiences in their decision-making.
We endorse
+ A focus on equality and equal opportunties in the development of an International Convention on the Rights of Older Persons and as recognised in the AGE Human Rights Manifesto.
+ Efforts to tackle ethnic inequality through the implementation of a National Race Equality Strategy and a national Ageing Strategy (State of Ageing Report 2023).
+ The campaign to abolish the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ policy that disproportionally impacts migrant women.
We endorse
+ The Real Living Wage Campaign.
+ The State of Ageing Report 2023 recommendations and the North Manchester Strategy with respect to the importance of lifelong education, training and routes into good work.
+ The Good Employment Charter.
+ Local strategies to develop networks of age-friendly employers.
+ The ‘lift the ban’ campaign to give asylum seekers the right to work.
We endorse
+ The carers campaign that calls for the continuation of carers allowance when in receipt of a state pension.
+ The universal basic income conversation and campaign.
+ Oxfam’s campaign to end carer poverty and to value all care as essential to society.
We endorse
+ The Centre for Ageing Better’s call for a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing which would help ensure that older people’s voices are included in policy making.
+ The AGE Human Rights Manifesto which calls for older people to be at the centre of processes that affect their lives.
+ The State of Ageing Report 2023 on the importance of gathering data on diverse communities and how they experience old age.
National actions
+ Amend the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate the disparities in the treatment of age equality and include protections against intersectional and multiple discrimination.
+ Eliminate the gender pay and pension gaps through effective national policies.
+ Increase the uptake on pension credit through education and awareness- raising so that older women are aware of their rights.
+ Adopt family carer top-ups.
National actions
+ Strengthen laws on flexible work and family-friendly work practices including the implementation of paid carer’s leave and up to 6 months unpaid leave for carers.
+ Provide funding for tailored supports and services for older women.
+ Ensure the protection of employment rights at work for all women.
National actions
+ A review of unpaid labour within society in order to understand fully the contributions made and to explore opportunities for economically valuing those contributions, such as through a citizen contribution scheme where it is possible to accumulate pension credits or similar.
+ The next government to engage in the conversation about universal basic income.
+ A commitment by the next government to explore alternative economic systems that value wellbeing for both people and planet and to move away from GDP.
National actions
+ The inclusion of citizen engagement in policy making and research, and that more is done to ensure that these voices are diverse.
+ Policy development that takes account of historic injustice and ensures an intersectional and life-course approach is used to create new policies.
Local actions
+ Embed equality impact assessments in all local development strategies.
+ Create tailored support and services for older women.
+ Work with employers to educate and raise awareness of stereotyping and its impact on older women.
Local actions
+ Embed equality impact assessments in all local development strategies.
+ Create tailored support and services for older women.
+ Work with employers to educate and raise awareness of stereotyping and its impact on older women.
Local actions
+ Embed equality impact assessments in all local development strategies.
+ Create tailored support and services for older women.
+ Work with employers to educate and raise awareness of stereotyping and its impact on older women.
Local actions
+ Co-produced research and policy- making needs investment, and realistic funding frameworks that ensure ongoing support for this type of work.
+ Increased support for evaluating participatory and co-produced projects to ensure the development of frameworks for good practice.
We declare that women over 50 have the right to
We demand
+
A right to be treated equally regardless
of age, gender, race, migration status,
religion, socio-economic status, disability
or sexual orientation.
+
Full pension equality and the end
to pension poverty for women.
+
Action is taken to address the gender
pay gap and the intersections of gender,
ethnicity and disability pay gaps which
contribute to a significant gender
pension gap.
We endorse
+ A focus on equality and equal opportunties in the development of an International Convention on the Rights of Older Persons and as recognised in the AGE Human Rights Manifesto.
+ Efforts to tackle ethnic inequality through the implementation of a National Race Equality Strategy and a national Ageing Strategy (State of Ageing Report 2023).
+ The campaign to abolish the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ policy that disproportionally impacts migrant women.
National actions
+ Amend the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate the disparities in the treatment of age equality and include protections against intersectional and multiple discrimination.
+ Eliminate the gender pay and pension gaps through effective national policies.
+ Increase the uptake on pension credit through education and awareness- raising so that older women are aware of their rights.
+ Adopt family carer top-ups.
Local actions
+ Embed equality impact assessments in all local development strategies.
+ Create tailored support and services for older women.
+ Work with employers to educate and raise awareness of stereotyping and its impact on older women.
We demand
+ Good work for all women.
+ Support and lifelong learning for all women to access good employment opportunities.
+ Employers adopt age and family friendly workplace practices which include lifecourse planning on pensions and other benefits.
We endorse
+ The Real Living Wage Campaign.
+ The State of Ageing Report 2023 recommendations and the North Manchester Strategy with respect to the importance of lifelong education, training and routes into good work.
+ The Good Employment Charter.
+ Local strategies to develop networks of age-friendly employers.
+ The ‘lift the ban’ campaign to give asylum seekers the right to work.
National actions
+ Strengthen laws on flexible work and family-friendly work practices including the implementation of paid carer’s leave and up to 6 months unpaid leave for carers.
+ Provide funding for tailored supports and services for older women.
+ Ensure the protection of employment rights at work for all women.
Local actions
+ Embed equality impact assessments in all local development strategies.
+ Create tailored support and services for older women.
+ Work with employers to educate and raise awareness of stereotyping and its impact on older women.
We demand
+ An economic contribution for the unpaid labour of women.
+ Support for unpaid carers across the lifecourse.
+ The impact of altered lifecourses on all women be fully recognised, particularly the effect on economic, physical and mental well-being.
We endorse
+ The carers campaign that calls for the continuation of carers allowance when in receipt of a state pension.
+ The universal basic income conversation and campaign.
+ Oxfam’s campaign to end carer poverty and to value all care as essential to society.
National actions
+ A review of unpaid labour within society in order to understand fully the contributions made and to explore opportunities for economically valuing those contributions, such as through a citizen contribution scheme where it is possible to accumulate pension credits or similar.
+ The next government to engage in the conversation about universal basic income.
+ A commitment by the next government to explore alternative economic systems that value wellbeing for both people and planet and to move away from GDP.
Local actions
+ Embed equality impact assessments in all local development strategies.
+ Create tailored support and services for older women.
+ Work with employers to educate and raise awareness of stereotyping and its impact on older women.
We demand
+ Participation in political decision- making on issues affecting women over 50.
+ Policy-makers take a lifecourse perspective to their decision-making.
+ Policy-makers recognise intersectionality, diversity and lived experiences in their decision-making.
We endorse
+ The Centre for Ageing Better’s call for a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing which would help ensure that older people’s voices are included in policy making.
+ The AGE Human Rights Manifesto which calls for older people to be at the centre of processes that affect their lives.
+ The State of Ageing Report 2023 on the importance of gathering data on diverse communities and how they experience old age.
National actions
+ The inclusion of citizen engagement in policy making and research, and that more is done to ensure that these voices are diverse.
+ Policy development that takes account of historic injustice and ensures an intersectional and life-course approach is used to create new policies.
Local actions
+ Co-produced research and policy- making needs investment, and realistic funding frameworks that ensure ongoing support for this type of work.
+ Increased support for evaluating participatory and co-produced projects to ensure the development of frameworks for good practice.
