UN Special Rapporteur reports to General Assembly on violence against older women

9 October 2026

Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on the causes and consequences of violence against women and girls, presented a report to the General Assembly on violence against older women.
She said older women face violence, exploitation and neglect yet remain largely invisible in the laws, policies, data and services designed to protect women overall.
An estimated 664 million women were aged 60 or older in 2025, a number projected to reach 1.13 billion by 2050.
The report treats violence against older women as a distinct and intersectional issue rooted in discrimination, ageism and inequality.
It identifies physical, psychological, sexual and economic violence as well as coercive control, neglect, abandonment and technology-facilitated violence.
It also records exploitation of pensions and property, digital exclusion, denial of healthcare or assistive devices and barriers to reporting and justice.
Widows, migrant and stateless women, rural women, women with disabilities and women in institutional care are identified as particularly at risk.