Sri Lanka is fast becoming a country that has the oldest people in the South Asian region. It is also one of the fastest ageing countries in the world. Between 1981 and 2012, the proportion of the population aged 60 years and above, has increased from 6.6% to 12.4%. It is estimated that by 2030, 1 in 5 people in Sri Lanka will be above the age of 60. Globally and in Sri Lanka, women continue to make up a growing majority of the older population. This marks the feminization of ageing. 
 

In line with this, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with the Ministry of Primary Industries and Social Empowerment, together with HelpAge Sri Lanka, convened the second of a series of high-level policy dialogue on population ageing, titled ‘Ageing Without Limits. The dialogue aims to provide policy-level inputs to maximize the opportunity of population ageing, with learning from good practices and lessons learned from other countries. The dialogue was on the topic of ‘Feminization of Ageing’, with a focus on gender dimensions of population ageing, sexual and reproductive health, and social protection issues. The dialogue was led by a panel of local and international experts with the participation of relevant officers from government agencies, civil society, the private sector, the development sector, and academia.
 

The fruitful discussions assisted the compiling of this post brief which aims to act as an aid to address elder care issues in the country through effective policy making.