Women and Ageing: Unpacking the Gendered Challenges of Growing Older in the UK
As we face the realities of an ageing population, the challenges for women deserve particular attention. A recent House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee hearing — with powerful testimony from Professors Lynda Gratton, Wendy Loretto and Philip Taylor — explored how ageing intersects with gender, work, health, and care. Here are the takeaways that struck me most.
1. Employment and Economic Insecurity
Women over 50 often find themselves shut out of the workforce — not due to lack of ambition or talent, but because of structural issues: career breaks for caregiving, lower lifetime earnings, and persistent age and gender discrimination. As Professor Wendy Loretto noted, these disadvantages compound, leading to economic insecurity just when financial independence is most vital.
2. Health Disparities and the Weight of Care
Women tend to live longer than men, but spend more of those later years in poor health. Add to this the ‘double shift’ many undertake as unpaid carers — not just for children but increasingly for elderly relatives — and the toll on physical, emotional, and economic wellbeing is clear. The burden of care is not shared equally.
3. Policy Recommendations Worth Pursuing
The Committee’s discussion pointed toward practical reforms that could make a real difference:
- Flexible work options to allow women to combine employment with caring roles
- Lifelong learning and retraining support for those changing careers in later life
- Fairer pension provision to reflect time spent out of paid work caring for others
- Improved healthcare access tailored to older women’s needs
We urgently need to design policies that reflect the real lives of real women — those who are ageing not invisibly, but in plain sight. If we get this right, the UK can lead the way in valuing and empowering older women — not just supporting them, but seeing their experience as a national asset.
4. Summary and Call to Action
Above all, the Committee reached a powerful point of consensus:
You can be wonderful at any age.
This phrase isn’t just a slogan — it’s a philosophy worth building policy around. It reminds us that:
- Lifelong potential is real. Human worth and contribution don’t expire at 50, 60 or even 90.
- We must value more than appearance. A society that only celebrates youth and beauty misses out on wisdom, depth, and lived experience.
- Growth and purpose don’t have a deadline. People can learn new skills, forge new careers, and make meaningful contributions throughout their lives.
- And most importantly:
This truth offers hope. It tells every woman — every person — that they still matter, still inspire, and still have something to give.
We will all, one day, be old. Many have quit work early and will live many more years than we have planned for. With less in work and a low fertility rate, exacerbated by a contracting workplace and jobs market, the unknown impact of AI, the work and pensions looming crisis is critical.
It’s time to build a society — and a policy framework — that doesn’t just support older women, but sees them, hears them, and empowers them.
