Gender Issues in Healthy Ageing Among African Rural Women and Human Capital Development for Achievement of Sustanable Development Goals (SDGs)
Conference: ISA 22nd Annual International Conference (2025)
Presenter(s): Oby. C. N. Okonkwor
Tags: Oby Okonkwor 2025 Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Nigeria
Abstract
Life expectancy has increased considerably and people are continually getting aware of the need to stay young, healthy, active and alive. In order to achieve these as we age, we need to adopt a healthy life style and diet suitable for each stage of later life. The African culture has its uniqueness due to many factors including the extended family system (EFS) where one is totally dependent on the off-spring and relatives at old age. On the other hand women generally live longer than men thereby having older women and widows in the society. Furthermore, the same African culture (like the Igbos of Nigeria) do not encourage old widows to remarry or socialize, thereby placing more economic, socio-psychological and health challenges on the aged women especially in the rural setting where the younger ones have abandoned their villages to urban areas for pursuit of “white collar jobs” The purpose of this paper is to discuss Gender issues in healthy aging among rural African women and Human Capital Development for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals( SDGs). It is never too early or too late to work for healthy ageing. Therefore, the health social, psychological, economic and emotional aspect of life style adjustment for aging gracefully and happily shall be discussed. The paper ends with recommendations as strategies to equip individuals with useful skills for healthy, happy, active ageing for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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