Population ageing: gender, family support and the economic condition of older Africans

This paper addresses demographic changes occurring in developing countries and in Africa that are resulting in population ageing, i.e. an increasing proportion and number of older persons. The paper focusses on gender differentials in intergenerational relationships, income and cash generation, and family support. Older women are in a far more vulnerable position than older men in most categories of the descriptive analysis. The impact of a structural impact on the elderly, AIDS, especially for women, is discussed in the context of support and intergenerational transfer. Finally, a brief research agenda and policy implications are offered.