Trains, walkathons and TV shows!
Over the past two years, older people across South Asia have joined together around 1st October to demand an end to age discrimination.
In 2008 in India, an amazing 850 older people boarded an officially named “HelpAge Special” train from Cuddalore and travelled all the way to New Delhi to demand better treatment from their government!
In Bangladesh, older people held a talk show about Age Demands Action on one of the most popular TV shows in the country. And in Nepal, older people made a documentary to show the importance of older people’s rights. 30,000 people in Nepal and 1,600 in Bangladesh also put their names to petitions demanding change from their governments.
Progress was made
There was huge progress in Bangladesh when the government promised to both increase the amount of the pension and the number of older people who receive it.
And there were celebrations in Nepal when the government not only increased the pension allowance but also reduced the eligible age for pensions from 75 to 70 years old. This will result in a big improvement in the lives of thousands of older people and their families here.
More action still needs to be taken
This is fantastic progress but much more still needs to be done until all older people’s rights are protected and respected across South Asia. That’s why we plan to make this year’s Age Demands Action campaign even bigger and better than ever!
Activists will make even more noise in more countries to push for more change for the older people of South Asia.