The Need for Age-Inclusive and Gender-Sensitive Social Policies for India’s Longevity Society

Journal Name :  Ageing and Longevity

The paper serves as a timely emphasis on the urgency for equitable social policy reform in the context of India’s rapidly ageing population. With India transitioning into a longevity society, the paper highlights the urgency for designing social policies that are both age-inclusive and gender-sensitive. Drawing on data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) and other sources, the authors argue that existing policy frameworks are inadequate to address the diverse needs of older adults, especially women, who often face compounded and cumulative disadvantages due to caregiving roles, widowhood and often economic dependency. The paper calls for a recalibration of welfare systems to ensure equity, autonomy and social integration for older citizens. It urges a shift away from fragmented, welfare-based approaches to more holistic, life-course-oriented policy models.