Ageing, Women and Old Age Homes: A Gendered Analysis in the Indian Context

Ageing in both men and women presents us with challenges. However, ageing in women is more precarious in comparison to men. India is undergoing a process of demographic transition and soon will face the problem of an ageing population; a trend that stands parallel to the global trend of ‘greying population’, most vividly manifested in the western countries. However, India is also undergoing a process of socio-economic transformation triggered by the ongoing process of modernisation and globalisation. In such a scenario, a trend in the rising preference for nuclear family, individualistic attitude and ‘westernised’ values is becoming explicit. Under such circumstances, the coming of old age homes as an alternate means to provide care to our elderly raises intriguing questions. Especially in the case of aged women, the issue becomes even more critical. Keeping these factors in mind, this paper attempts to analyse the issue of aged women and old age homes from a gendered perspective. This paper has tried to argue that even though old age homes are considered to have certain advantages, for aged women in India, old age homes are not a viable option, at least not yet. This paper, at a theoretical level, attempts to show that old age homes present not a preferred choice, but a lack of alternatives when it comes to aged women in India.