Tackling Ageism
Bayside has joined the Municipal Association of Victoria and is lending its support to a state-wide local government campaign to reduce ageism in our community.
In partnership with EveryAGE Counts, it aims to shed light on the prejudice expressed towards a person because of their age as well as discriminatory practices against older people when it comes to employment and other social roles.
Bayside City Council will participate in the inaugural Ageism Awareness Day, held on 1 October. The theme for the day will be: Ageism. Know it. Name it.
Ageism is defined as a prejudice expressed towards a person because of their age.
For older people, it impacts confidence, quality of life, job prospects, health and control over life decisions, and in its extreme, results in elder abuse.
Ageism can also deny society an enormous range of economic and social benefits that can flow from the full participation of older people in community life.
It is similar to other ‘ism’s’ and impacts people of all ages, particularly older people and young people. While most people would know that overlooking a prospective employee purely due to their age is ageist, other forms of ageism are not as obvious.
Examples that can distort our attitudes to older people include a fixation on ‘anti-aging’ products or the preponderance of birthday cards that portray getting older in a negative light.
These examples can often go unnoticed and so, it can be difficult to immediately recognise the need for an ageism campaign.
Bayside is working towards older people being celebrated for their diversity of interests and respectfully acknowledged for their positive contribution to local communities, families, organisations and the economy.
Although ageism is prolific across all areas of society and can take place within the workplace, healthcare or aged care as well as within families and local communities, due to the nature of ageism, it can often go unnoticed and is not always recognised for its negative impacts.
The inaugural Ageism Awareness Day coincides with the launch of the 2021 Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined. Find out more about the festival here.
And take a look at what the Bayside Seniors Healthy Ageing Festival has to offer.
Join the EveryAGE Counts Ageism Awareness Day morning tea this Friday, 1 October 2021 at 10am.
