| dc.description | Average life expectancy for Ugandans is currently estimated at 50 years for both men and women. Nonetheless, with developed healthcare systems and social conditions, there are telling indicators that a significant number of Ugandans live and will continue to live well beyond this age. By 2002, older persons constituted 4.6% of the total population. Whereas older persons are recognized among the category of marginalized groups in Uganda, they continue to receive minimal attention in comparison to others such as women, children, people with disabilities and the youth. Advocacy of the rights of older persons in Uganda is lackluster. Most support Offered to them is largely paternalistic. Social security also remains elusive, given that the majority of them do not actually qualify for such schemes having been mainly employed in the informal sector. For these reasons, older persons are regarded as unproductive and helpless and yet recent studies reveal that they are a major resource on history, traditional knowledge, health and culture. Older persons have also played an important role as the mediators of conflicts and disputes. Most importantly, older persons have been crucial in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, protecting orphans and caring for those infected and affected. This study critically analyzes and assesses the issue of aged-based discrimination in Uganda against the backdrop of the struggle for equal opportunities of older persons. Its main objective is to ensure a more comprehensive approach to achieving full respect for the human rights of all persons regardless of age. Cognizant of recent steps by government to recognize the rights of older persons—specifically the formulation of the draft National Policy for Older persons and the establishment of the Equal Opportunities Commission—the paper argues for a new paradigm in which the rights of older persons should be considered. Despite the crucial place of older persons in the economy and in society at large, they remain discriminated against at almost all levels. This aspect of age-based discrimination has not spared the different programs and initiatives designed to help them. Older persons do not own most of the initiatives designed to protect them, and there appear to be few efforts in the direction of changing the status quo. Some hope lies in the enactment of the Equal Opportunities Commission Act in 2007. Putting in mind the fact that the Act in the main establishes the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) to deal with issues of the vulnerable generally, there is a need for considerable effort to influence the agenda of the Commission in ensuring that it fully recognizes and champions the rights of Older persons. The Commission should create sufficient space to enable older person’s full control and autonomy over the manner in which their rights and interests are to be given attention. The paper makes several recommendations in order to improve the situation of older persons including: a) The draft National policy provides a solid foundation for the rights of older persons and is a laudable step in the right direction. In particular, the policy underlines the obligations of the government of Uganda to older people in the country and may be used as a basis to demand for their rights particularly where the state is reluctant or unwilling to protect them; b) Issues of participation, protection and the positive image of older persons have to be taken into consideration for all interventions directed at their situation to succeed. To that end, older persons should be afforded a greater and more active role; c) As is the case with other vulnerable groups, the government should strongly consider forming a National Council for Older Persons and creating provision for their representation in Parliament. This will lead to better streamlining and advocacy of the rights of older persons and also enhance their levels of participation in the process of national development and governance; d) Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) need to strategically advocate for the rights of older persons and to mobilize to influence the agenda of the newly formed Equal Opportunities Commission towards the rights of older persons; e) Particular attention should be paid to provisions in the law barring the Commission from investigating any matter that involves behavior considered immoral, socially harmful or unacceptable by the majority of the cultural and social communities in Uganda. This limitation adversely affects the investigation of matters concerning age-based discrimination, given that older persons are often accused of ‘immoral’ practices such as Witchcraft; f) There is a dire need for the overall reform of the pension sector run by both the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Public Service. Comprehensive reform of this sector should be undertaken and provision made for a Retirement Benefits Authority responsible for the regulation of pension issues in both the private and the public sectors. In this way, investment schemes will be better managed and pensioner’s life savings will not be invested in dubious schemes, as is currently the case; g) There is a need for the periodic review and scrutiny of parliamentary bills in order to ensure that the rights of older person are given the required attention and respect in the law making process. This is especially important where there is no parliamentary representation for older persons and calls for concerted and comprehensive advocacy on the part of NGOs committed to the rights of older persons; h) Mainstream human rights organizations should be encouraged to redefine their agendas in order to comprehensively incorporate the rights of older persons within their activities. At the same time, those groups that explicitly deal with the rights of older persons should strive to involve mainstream human rights organisations in their activities such as the International Day for Older Persons, which falls on October 1st of every year; i) The state should support the development and study of the subjects of Gerontology and Geriatrics in our institutions of higher learning and also by committing increased resources and funds to Gerontological research and to the study of both macroscopic and microscopic interventions in this area, and j) A free medical scheme for older persons should be put in place in order to address the most serious health challenges faced by them. The scheme should cover both consultation and drugs. | |
