Gender Inequality

The ageing population is a threat to women’s economic welfare

A resident holds the hand of a nurse at the SenVital elderly home in Kleinmachnow outside Berlin May 28, 2013. Facing an acute shortage of skilled applicants among its own workforce, German institutions in the care sector increasingly turn to southern European countries to hire trained nursing staff who are willing to work abroad despite the language barrier in order to escape unemployment at home. The SenVital home for the elderly outside Berlin has accepted five qualified nurses from Spain as their staff, providing eight months of language training and additional care schooling needed to attain the German nursing concession. Some 100 Spaniards applied for the ten vacancies SenVital had advertised across its various houses.

The ageing population population poses a financial risk to women. Image: REUTERS/Thomas Peter

June Andrews
Professor emeritus, University of Stirling
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Gender Inequality

The time spent on unpaid care work by adults in different regions of the world.
Image: OECD
Populations are getting older
Image: WHO
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Gender InequalityAgeing and Longevity
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