Ageism

To  End Ageism, the 'Old' Must Demand Respect

For the most part, the old and oldest in our population have done little if anything to show they are worthy of the respect and dignity they deserve if for nothing else then the significant contributions they made throughout their live
The following is from the Old Women's Project: and is a step in demanding respect:

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT:

Old women must be treated as equal to other adults. 

We reject both contempt and "respect" on the basis of age, but rather celebrate honest exchange between generations. 

If we can have relations of equality, people can see for themselves whether we have "wisdom and experience." 

Some of us do. (Sometimes old women fall into wanting "honor and respect" just because women get so little respect throughout our lives that we feel we should at least get some pay-off at the end. 

Besides, we're aware that if we don't get special "respect," we usually end up with special contempt. But we also remember when "respect" for women was used as a reason to deny us the vote.)

Old women can and must speak out to demand this equality for ourselves and other old women. This breaks the taboo against old women asking for ourselves rather than for "future generations." 

But our own lives matter, and future generations of old women depend on us to end ageism.

Ageism disempowers all women. As long as younger women gain false power by distancing themselves from old women, the 35-year-old loses power by not being 25.

The word "old" is a statement of fact, not a matter of shame. We claim it, believing that as long as it is humiliating to be called old, it will be humiliating to be old.