Although more boys than girls are born worldwide, men tend to have higher mortality rates at all ages. Consequently, women tend to have a longer life expectancy than men, which accounts for imbalances in gender ratios at old ages. Currently, nine percent of the female population in Asia is at least 60 years of age, while the corresponding proportion for the male population is eight percent. This fact points to the special need for support and gender-specific services for older women, particularly those who are widowed or single heads of families. In some countries, these women are especially vulnerable, owing to their lack of access to property and community resources.
Families always care for older people.
In the Asia and Pacific region, older persons often live with their children in extended families. However, the traditional extended family system and traditions across the region are changing. Increased globalisation, urbanisation and social mobility, smaller families, and the tendency for married women to seek wage employment have reduced the number of traditional care givers for older persons. Consequently, the social safety net and support provided by family structures are increasingly unavailable to many older persons in the region. Older people are unproductive and a burden on communities and society.