Open AccessCONSIDERING REGIONAL POLICIES TOWARDS AGEING THROUGH A GENDERED LENS: THE CASE OF CHINA
Author(s) -
Ya Lin,
Stuart GietelBasten
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
brazilian journal of policy and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2675-102X
DOI - 10.52367/brjpd.2675-102x.2019.1.1.25-44
Subject(s) - china , intersection (aeronautics) , inequality , political science , lens (geology) , ageing , life course approach , development economics , geography , economic growth , economics , psychology , engineering , cartography , mathematical analysis , social psychology , mathematics , petroleum engineering , law , genetics , biology
It is well known that populations around the world - and in Pacific Asia in particular - are ageing, and ageing rapidly. China is no exception to this. While it has been widely agreed that gender is an important lens through which to define and develop appropriate policies for both adaptation and mitigation of the challenges of ageing, gender is rarely explicitly taken into consideration as a vector of consideration. In this paper, we demonstrate for the case of China how when viewing this intersection through a regional lens, the extent to which old age is ‘feminised’ differs sharply across the country. Taken together, this shows the importance of considering gender both in old-age, as well as inequalities across the life course, in the formulation and development of policies relating to ageing at both the national and the regional level. This is especially important in a country such as China, where provinces and other local governments yield important policymaking powers in certain key areas relevant to ageing.