We have recently celebrated Ageism Awareness Day which is an opportunity to draw attention to the existence and impacts of ageism in Australia. It plays a critical role in changing community attitudes and building a world where all people of all ages are valued and respected and their contributions are acknowledged.

Alarmingly on a global scale 1 in 2 people are ageist. That is half of the world’s population who hold negative attitudes about ageing and older people.

Within Australia it is a highly accepted form of prejudice. From a personal perspective of someone who is 60 I know I am invisible at some shops and cafés. I often get overlooked for another person. My invisibility became obvious a few years ago when I let my hair go grey.  There is still so much negativity about women with grey hair, while on men it supposedly looks distinguished.

My older friends warn me I have not seen anything yet. My 70-year-old friend says she started to notice people talking down her as if she was stupid a few years ago.   Why would people think age equals stupidity? In many other cultures age equals wisdom and respect.

Council on the Ageing Australia Chief Executive, Ian Yates, said that while Australia has taken some steps in learning how to end ageism, there is still a very long way to go.

“Ageism is endemic in Australia,” Mr Yates said. “The Australian Human Rights Commission last year found that 90 per cent of Australians agree that ageism exists in this country, yet we are still yet to see some of the simple, concrete measures that older Australians have been asking for put in place to address this critical issue.”

On the brighter side, I still sit on two boards and write and my husband who is older than me sits on at least five boards or councils. We travel and participate in community events and spend time with family. We do not feel our age is holding us back. I do now see older workers now at my local hardware store and occasionally at a café.   With so much worker shortage in hospitality and other sectors, some of our older Australians are ready to fill those gaps.   

People of all ages, including older Australians, should be valued and respected and have their contributions acknowledged. Throughout their lives, from start to finish. The video below really sums up the issues around ageism.  Actor Bryan Brown, a youthful 75 years of age, really gets it.  I urge you to watch it. If you are having trouble viewing the video, you can find it on the EveryAGE Counts website.