The gendered activity spaces of older people: care activities and everyday mobility in the urban fringes of Santiago de Chile

Age significantly impacts mobility practices and activity spaces, but gender also creates notable differences in how older men and women move. Health conditions and activity participation vary, and gendered care roles influence mobility. Consequently, older people’s mobility practices and activity spaces change based on their tasks and destinations. We intend to examine the extent to which gender influences the mobility practices and the resulting activity spaces of older people. We use a mixed-method approach to examine the accessibility of a group of older people, considering proximity, mobility practices, and activity spaces, living in a suburban municipality in Santiago de Chile. Findings reveal that care activities significantly shape the activity spaces and mobility practices of older people, particularly women, highlighting their dual role as caregivers and care receivers. In the context of demographic ageing in Global South countries, the results illuminate how gender influences the mobility of older men and women and reflect their increasingly active presence in society.