IWD: Tackling ageism and sexism in women’s healthcare

“There’s an assumption that because you’re older and a woman that there’s going to be bits of you that are worn out and you’ve just got to face it. I don’t want to appreciate that, I want support.” – Focus group participant, age 63

Across Scotland, women contribute enormously to their communities, workplaces and society throughout their lives. Yet too often, as they grow older, their health needs can become overlooked and dismissed. 

This International Women’s Day, we are shining a spotlight on the impact of double discrimination - the combined effects of ageism and sexism in healthcare.

Our research highlights significant barriers:

• 40% of older women find it difficult or very difficult to access healthcare
• 62% say access has become harder as they’ve aged

While the 2021 Women’s Health Plan marked progress, it did not go far enough in addressing the needs of women aged 50 and over. Last year, we worked with the Scottish Government to help inform the new plan which has recently been published.

We know that statistics only tell part of the story. To hear directly from women, we held focus groups with participants aged 50-90, including women from ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities. We are very grateful to all those who took the time to share their views with us.

Women told us that:

• Mental health concerns are often dismissed or attributed solely to menopause or “just ageing”.
• Symptoms are minimised as inevitable, affecting diagnosis and treatment.
• Caring responsibilities prevent many from prioritising their own health.
• Post-menopausal health, including bone and brain health, receives too little attention
• Accessible, offline health information remains limited.
• There is a lack of focus on preventative services, screening, and access to advice and information.

“I don’t get to be sick – I’m mum and gran and wife to a disabled husband. There’s no one to look after them, never mind me.” – Focus group participant, age 65

These experiences reflect a deeper issue: older women’s health is too often treated as an afterthought.

That’s why we recommended a dedicated focus on older women’s health within the next plan, with women’s health clinics across Scotland, better access to information, and mandatory training to tackle ageism and sexism in healthcare.

Older women deserve healthcare that takes their concerns seriously and recognises the unique discrimination they can face, and we hope that as the plan progresses we will come closer to achieving a health plan that supports women at every stage of life.