Towards a Gender Politics of Aging

The article proposes a Gender Politics of Aging approach to the study of aging societies. The approach recognizes the feminisation of old age, ageism’s roots in sexist discourse, and the need to recognise the role of politics in driving demographic debates. Drawing together arguments from feminist gerontology and political demography, the article argues that the intersection of politics and gender must be considered if appropriate responses to an older, feminised demography are to be produced. I conclude that the work of aging feminists provides a rich vein of research and praxis from which gender politics of aging approach can draw.