Every June 15, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to bring attention to the issue of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. As President Obama declared in his WEAAD proclamation, "Today, we join our international partners in renewing our commitment to combat and raise awareness of elder abuse, and in striving to ensure security and dignity for all seniors."
ACL joins communities and leaders from around the world in speaking up for elder justice.
Writing for the ACL blog, ACL Administrator Kathy Greenlee reflected on “the peaks and valleys on our collective journey towards elder justice” noting that this is the last WEAAD she will commemorate in her capacity as Assistant Secretary for Aging. She called for continued national dialogue about the value of older adults, support for frontline programs that interact with victims and survivors, and collective action rooted in the belief that we can all “make a difference in the fight against the epidemic of elder maltreatment.” Greenlee also talked to HelpAge USA about WEAAD and the global elder justice movement.
In a statement commemorating WEAAD, United Nations Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark emphasized the importance of including older women in the discussion on global gender-based violence. “Ensuring that women of all ages are included in all aspects of development and supported as contributors to their families, communities and nations will bring us closer to realizing the ideal of ‘leaving no one behind,’” Clark wrote.
The International Center for Research on Women and the World Bank echoed this theme on their blogs. The co-author of the posts, Cailin Crockett, works on behalf of ACL to ensure that efforts to address gender-based violence include women and girls of all ages and abilities.
Visit ACL.gov WEAAD for resources, materials, and tips to take action against elder abuse.