Juggling Age in Thuringia: Navigating Age-Based Bias
Elderly individuals often face discrimination. - Elderly individuals face widespread bias and prejudice in various aspects of life
Hey there! Let's talk about a touchy subject in Thuringia - age bias (or ageism, if you fancy a bit of lingo). According to the State Parliament faction of The Left, it's still a prevalent issue. In Erfurt, they revealed that one-third of folks over 65 have felt the sting of age discrimination. Now, Thuringia is home to over 577K seniors, with more than a quarter being approximately 65 or older.
Katja Maurer, the social policy spokesperson for The Left, addressed this issue during the International Day against Elder Abuse and Discrimination. In short, she believes politics and society have a responsibility to turn the tide on ageism.
Maurer pointed out that older people frequently face blame for the decline in their earning power or increased care needs. This isn't exactly obvious, but it's there – in inaccessible establishments, meager pensions, and complicated bureaucratic processes that make securing care services a headache.
The Left is pushing for a constitutional amendment to forbid age discrimination and make it a crime.
Now, while we don't have specific new laws to tackle this problem in Thuringia, let's pause for a moment and discuss what we do have. There's the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) that strives to prevent discrimination, including age discrimination, in employment at the federal level. Plus, Thuringia has the Thuringian Equal Opportunities Act (ThürGleichG), which, while primarily focusing on gender equality, might offer a foundation for combating other forms of discrimination.
In terms of solutions, while specific ones for Thuringia haven't been highlighted, broader strategies include Equal Opportunities Plans and institutional policies promoting age diversity and inclusion. These might involve training programs and inclusive hiring practices for older workers.
Lastly, tackling age discrimination in the context of employment and care services would involve creating unbiased hiring processes, opportunities, and advancement paths for seniors, as well as providing support programs for them to continue contributing to the workforce.
There's still much ground to cover in Thuringia to combat ageism and ensure everyone can grow old with dignity and respect. Keep that in mind the next time you're holding a door, or grabbing that ladder out of the reach of those who could use it a bit more.
- It would be beneficial to incorporate vocational training programs, as per the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), to promote age diversity and inclusion in Thuringia's workforce, providing opportunities for seniors to continue their contributions in health-and-wellness fields such as science and mental health.
- In line with Katja Maurer's beliefs, community policy initiatives could focus on the importance of science, health-and-wellness, mental-health, and aging when implementing vocational training programs, aiming to reduce ageism and create an inclusive society that values and respects aging individuals.
