Championing change: Older women in Malawi and Tanzania demand fair social protection

How HelpAge Network members are making sure older women are not left behind

Published

14 May 2025

Putting older women first

HelpAge network members in Malawi and Tanzania are stepping up to make sure older women get the support they deserve through social protection systems.

At recent national workshops, HelpAge International joined forces with HelpAge Tanzania and the Malawi Network of Older Persons Organisations (MANEPO) to present findings from a joint report: Advance Gender Equality Through Social Protection in an Ageing World.

The workshops brought together older women and men, government officials, the UN, and civil society organisations to talk about how to make social protection systems more inclusive, especially for older women who are often overlooked.

Why social protection matters for older women

Social protection, especially social pensions, can transform lives. It provides a lifeline – reducing poverty, offering economic security, and helping older women live with dignity and independence.

Older women are often worse off financially than men in later life. Many spend their lives doing unpaid or informal work – like caring for family – which means they don’t qualify for contributory pensions.

The government should prioritise older women and include them all because they are in dire poverty compared to the rest of the population.

74-year-old woman in Malawi

What the research reveals

Our report looked closely at the challenges faced by older women in Malawi and Tanzania, focusing on two key government schemes: the Social Cash Transfer Programme in Malawi, and the Productive Social Safety Net in Tanzania.

What did we find?

Many older women are still left out of these programmes.
The systems don’t account for the fact that women tend to have lower incomes than men.
Practical barriers like limited mobility and poor digital access make it even harder for older women to receive support.

Digital payments, for example, are often designed without thinking about older women – many of whom may not have mobile phones, internet access, or the skills to use them.

Standing up for older women’s rights

These findings show how urgently we need social protection systems that consider gender, age, and disability. Everyone – especially older women – should be included in national plans and budgets.

That’s why we held workshops in both countries: to share the evidence, listen to older women’s experiences, and agree on clear next steps.

Malawi: Three key messages from the workshop

In Malawi, the conversation highlighted three major points:

Better data is needed – Collecting information by age, gender, and disability is vital to understand and address older women’s needs properly.
Universal pensions must move forward – All older people, especially women, need regular, reliable income to live in dignity.
Digital inclusion is essential – Helping older women learn how to use digital tools will give them more control and a stronger voice in society.

Participants at the workshop in Malawi

The workshop underscored the urgency of dismantling barriers such as discriminatory targeting mechanisms and digital divides through universal pensions and community-led advocacy.

Andrew Kavala, Director of MANEPO

Tanzania: Top takeaways from the workshop

In Tanzania, these were the top three messages:

Stronger collaboration is vital – Everyone – from government to community groups – must work together to push for a universal pension. Zanzibar’s example shows it can be done.
Look at the whole life story – Older women have often faced discrimination and poverty throughout their lives. Social protection must take these lifelong disadvantages into account.
Policy partnerships matter – Building strong relationships with government, civil society and international agencies will help drive real change.

Participants at the workshop in Tanzania

Across Tanzania, older women endure systemic marginalisation - denied access to pension, healthcare, and economic stability.

erome Sam-De-Mwaya, Social Protection Manager at HelpAge Tanzania

Our commitments

We’re not stopping here. Advocacy, from grassroot to global level, for older women’s rights and for social protection systems that are fair to all ages and genders remains at the core of our mission.

In Malawi, MANEPO will:

Raise older women’s voices
Promote the use of strong, inclusive data
Strengthen partnerships to build a fairer future

As Andrew Kavala said: “Advocating for older women in Malawi transcends policy – it is a moral imperative.”

In Tanzania, HelpAge will:

Step up advocacy for a universal pension
Build stronger alliances with government and civil society
Keep putting gender justice and human rights front and centre

Jerome Sam-De-Mwaya added: “This workshop reaffirmed that sustainable change demands relentless advocacy, centring gender justice and universal rights. Our next phase will amplify grassroots voices, engage policymakers with compelling evidence, and mobilise media to shift public perception.”

Older women in Malawi and Tanzania are demanding to be seen, heard, and included. And HelpAge and our network partners are standing beside them, ensuring social protection systems recognise their rights, meet their needs, and support them to live with dignity.

Because when older women thrive, entire communities benefit.