Policy areas

POPULATION

 

Demographic changes are taking place on a worldwide scale: populations are growing older, and a growing proportion of people is elderly people. United Nations forecasts predict that by 2050, every third person in Europe, CIS and North America is expected to be over the age of 60 while the proportion of younger generations below age 20 will dwindle to 20 per cent. The dramatic change in the age structure of populations in the region is the result of declines in both fertility and mortality: people are generally having fewer children and living longer. These changes in population structure present the challenge of adjusting existing – or developing altogether new – policies regarding pensions, social welfare and health care, to meet the needs of this growing population. At the same time, globalisation is exerting economic constraints on social protection systems.

 

There are wide-ranging consequences of these demographic changes, which interact in different ways with the many components of women and men’s lives: their families, their health, their education, their economic participation, and their rights. The following gender issues are directly linked to such changes and describe some of the dominant demographic trends we witness today.

 

Ageing	The majority of older people (60+) are women. With increased constraints on social protection systems, women’s work load, combining work inside and outside the family or household, escalates, which affects their health status, access to paid employment, political participation, and so on.
Population decline	Low fertility and migration patterns have resulted in a slow or negative population growth. Although smaller families enhance women’s opportunities around the world, low fertility in some countries is often the result of unfavourable conditions for women. Mortality is either rising or holding steady especially among men in the countries of the CEE and CIS.
Migration	Migration is an important factor in redistributing population and dramatic migration changes have occurred in the ECE region since the 1990s. There are gender differences in the reasons for migration, types of migration, as well as conditions in which women and men migrants live.
Refugees	Women and adolescent girls in refugee settings are especially vulnerable to sexual harassment, abuse and violence. Women have specific health needs due to their reproductive role and they often carry the heaviest burden of survival for themselves and their families in refugee situations.
List of Population Indicators recommended by the Task Force. View Statistics associated with this Policy Area.