LIST OF PANELS

Asia is ageing at an unprecedented rate. By 2050, 1.3 billion people in the region will be 60 years and older (UNESCAP, n.d.). The majority of this older population will be female, which raises major concerns about the financial security of older women. Existing global evidence suggests that older women have lower levels of income and higher levels of poverty. These gender inequalities in later life are the cumulative outcome of gender-based disadvantages in social and economic opportunities throughout women’s lives.

The rapid pace of ageing in Asia compared to Western Europe (to illustrate, while the transition from an ageing to aged society took 115 years in France, it will only take 19 years in Singapore)(Kinsella and Phillips, 2005) creates a unique challenge. Furthermore, compared to European countries, many countries in Asia will experience ageing at a much earlier stage of development. Governments do not have the "luxury of time" to respond to the policy implications of gendered ageing patterns, and immediate action is required. A first step towards this is a comprehensive assessment of the financial security of women in Asia. 

There has been substantial research on the policy implications of ageing in Asia (Abeykoon et al., 2017; Arifin and Ananta (eds), 2009; Lee (ed), 2008; Phillips, 1998, Torres and Samson (eds), 2014), but the gendered dimensions have been relatively under-explored. Research on gender and ageing tends to focus on healthcare, family or well-being (Devasahayam (ed), 2014; Dzung, 2014; Ofstedal et al., 2003; Mehta (ed), 1997; Schröder-Butterfill, 2004; Vlachantoni and Falkingham, 2011) and less on financial security. The importance of the life-course approach (Elder et al., 2003; Hatch,2000), or recognising that women's status in later life is the product of gender inequalities throughout their lives is also less studied. Utilising a life-course approach to policy would require a shift from viewing older women as a discrete target group, to incorporate women of all ages, and target key points in women's lives at which women are most 'at risk' of becoming financially insecure.

The objective of this panel is to focus attention on the factors influencing the financial security of older women in Asia, compare women’s experiences of financial insecurity in Asia with other regions, and underline the need for policies that integrate a life-course approach.

The main research question is: what are the main factors that cause women's financial insecurity in old age? 

The other questions that the panel seeks to address include but are not limited to: 

• Is the life-course approach useful for understanding women's financial security in old age? 
• What are the similarities and differences between older women’s experiences of financial security across different regions of the world? 
• What policy interventions are required to alleviate women's financial insecurity in old age? What policies are being implemented in different regions in the world? Are there any best practices from other regions that can be replicated in Asia? 
• What is the impact of gendered norms on women's financial security in old age? 
• Which factors that influence women's financial security can be addressed at a regional level, while others require country level initiatives? 
• Which is the most urgent issue relating to the financial security of older women? 

References:

Abeykoon, A., Murat, N., Rocas, G. and Naraval, A.C. (eds). (2017). Ageing: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia: Demographic transitions, policy and programmatic responses. Selangor: International Council on Management of Population Programmes (ICOMP).

Arifin, Evi Nurvidya and Ananta, Aris (eds). (2009) Older Persons in Southeast Asia: An Emerging Asset Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Devasahayam, Theresa W.  (eds). (2014). Gender and Ageing: Southeast Asian Perspectives. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Dzung, N.G.T. (2014). Elderly people in Vietnam: some issues of concern from family and gender perspectives. In Torres, A.T. and Samson, L.L. (eds). Aging in Asia-Pacific: Balancing the State and the Family. Quezon City: Philippine Social Science Council, pp. 195-208.

Elder, Glen H., Johnson, Monica Kirkpatrick and Crosnoe, Robert. (2003). “The emergence and development of life-course theory,” in Mortimer, Jeylan T.  and Shanahan, Michael J. (eds), Handbook of the Life Course. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Hatch, Laurie Russell. (2000). Beyond Gender Differences: Adaptation to Aging in Life Course Perspective. London: Taylor and Francis.

Kinsella, Kevin and Phillips, David Rosser (2005). “Global aging: the challenge of success.” Population Bulletin, 60, no. 1.

Phillips, David Rosser (1998). Aging in the Asia-Pacific Region: Trends and Policy Implications. APIAS Working Paper Series No. 5. Retrieved from Lingnan University website: http://commons.ln.edu.hk/apiaswp/7/

Lee, Hock Guan (ed). (2008) Ageing in Southeast and East Asia: Family, Social Protection and Policy Challenges Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Mehta, Kalyani (ed). (1997) Untapped Resources: Women in Ageing Societies Across Asia. Singapore: Times Academic Press

Ofstedal, Mary Beth, Reidy, Erin and Knodel, John. Gender Differences in Economic Support and Well-Being of Older Asians, PSC Research Report, Report No. 03-540, 2003, November.

Schröder-Butterfill, Elisabeth. “Inter-generational family support provided by older people in Indonesia,” Ageing and Society, 24, no. 4, 2004: 497-530.

Torres, A.T. and Samson, L.L. (eds). (2014) Aging in Asia-Pacific: Balancing the State and the Family. Quezon City: Philippine Social Science Council.

UNESCAP. n.d. Ageing in Asia and the Pacific: Overview. Bangkok: UNESCAP.

Vlachantoni, A and Falkingham, J. (2011). Exploring gender and pensions in Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam. CRA Discussion Paper no. 1101, February. Southampton: University of Southampton, Centre for Research on Ageing, p. 20.

As the world ages rapidly, the face of ageing will be female. In the Asia-Pacific region, more than half of the older persons will be female. Ensuring the financial security of these older women will be one of the major social and economic challenges globally, and in particular in the Asia-Pacific region. Yet, a review of the progress made by governments in Asia-Pacific on the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing since 2002 finds that “Particular gaps exist with regard to gender equality and addressing the needs of older women.”[1]

We invite scholars and policy practitioners to present both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the current status of financial security of older women; as well as forecasts of future trends. Papers can be from different disciplines, and can be based on theoretical and conceptual issues, as well as empirical examples. Papers can also provide a comparative analysis of older women’s experiences of financial security in different regions of the world. Papers that incorporate a life-course perspective are particularly welcome, along with papers that highlight best practices or innovative policy solutions. While women in general face more disadvantages than men, some groups of women are disproportionately more vulnerable. Papers that recognise the diversity of women’s experiences and/or highlight the intersection of women’s multiple identities are also welcome.

Based on the key issue of the financial security of older women, the questions that this panel seeks to address include but are not limited to:

· How useful is the life-course approach for understanding women's financial security in old age?

· What are the main policy interventions required to alleviate women's financial insecurity in old age?

· What is the impact of gendered norms on women's financial security in old age?

· Which factors that influence women's financial security can be addressed at a global or regional level, while others require country level initiatives?

· Which is the most urgent issue relating to the financial security of older women?

[1] UNESCAP. 2017. Government actions towards the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002: achievements and remaining challenges: Note by the Secretariat. Bangkok: UNESCAP, p. 23