Day 3 started with a plenary session on Women and Ageing. Presentations by Dr Debra Whitman from AARP, Dr Grace Clark Dean of Social Sciences and Prof Sociology at Forman Christian College in Pakistan and the only man Prof Giridahra formerly UNFPA. A powerful session especially from Dr Whitman and Prof Clark. A number of points were made including

• Most gender gaps are carried forward into later life and in some cases accentuated
• New gaps emerge as women live longer than men
• Seeing the feminisation of old age
• Age discrimination in the workplace impacts disproportionally on women

However it wasn’t these points that impacted on me. Rather it was two stories and a tweet. Prof Clark as a sociologist wove together the life story of a woman born in Pakistan well before partition and told a powerful story of how patriarchy impacted her at each life stage. If you weren’t moved by her telling of the story then there would be in my mind no hope. As an aside I saw patriarchy all around me at the conference and in the exploring I did in the city. Women at the conference likewise reflected on their experience.

Dr Whitman talked of how many older women are neglected by family and issued the challenge “If you say you love your grandmother then take her for a walk.” It was as they were speaking that a tweet came in reporting on a speech the Australian sex discrimination commissioner had made. I was very pertinent. It was however the metaphor used by the sex discrimination commissioner that impacted. So as an aside I quote from a report on the Sydney meeting.

“So while we’ve seen some progress in twenty years,[in Australian corporate life] the challenges that remain might be the really difficult ones to remove. As Sex Discrimination Commissioner Liz Broderick told the panel, we’re now dealing with “gender asbestos”. It’s in the roof, the walls and floors of our organisations. You can’t see it. Can’t touch it. But it exists and it’s dangerous. “It’s more difficult to name and therefore more difficult to do anything about.”. Click here.

Returning to Hyderabad and the discussion of patriarchy it was interesting to note as the plenary session concluded that the main speakers in the question time were, yes men from the very societies Prof Clark had described.

The conference ended with an amazing display of pomp and ceremony in the way that only India can do it. The politicians arrived with their bodyguards and made lengthy speeches. It was lovely to conclude with the national anthem.

I made three presentations over the 3 days, received very encouraging feedback with considerable interest in the approach we take. I also caught up with international contacts, made new linkages and of course did some exploring of the city of Hyderabad and bought a few pearls as mementos of  India’s city of pearls.