- Details
- Published: 10 August 2022
The Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum recently published two new reports examining ageism in Canada:
- An examination of the social and economic impacts of ageism - Read it here
- A case study on ageism during the COVID-19 pandemic - Read it here
Among the key findings in these two documents:
- Ageism has psychosocial impacts as well as economic impacts on older Canadians, though the economic impacts are currently less documented.
- Age-based discrimination, combined with other forms (gender-based, racial) means older women and visible minorities bear the brunt of workplace ageism.
- Media plays a key role in strengthening ageism by rarely acknowledging the contributions and strengths of older people or featuring their voices, and by framing aging solely as a process of "loss".
- Ageism among Indigenous communities in Canada continues to be under-documented. Absent references to Indigenous Elders in different types of communications is a notable issue.
- Attention to words and framing, in media, in government communications, in research etc. is crucial to avoid perpetuating ageism in society.
