By: Fatou Krubally
The Gambia joined the world on 1st October 2025 to mark the International Day of Older Persons, with civil society and government actors emphasizing the importance of recognizing the contributions and rights of older citizens.
This year’s theme, “Older Persons Driving Local and Global Action: Our Aspirations, Our Well-Being, Our Rights,” highlights the need to see older people not as passive recipients of care, but as active participants in shaping their communities and policies.
In a statement, the community-based organization Ageing with a Smile Initiative (Gambia) underscored that older persons play a vital role in homes, communities, and governance, yet many still face significant challenges. Across Africa, older citizens are often excluded from social protection programs, live without secure incomes, lack access to adequate healthcare and housing, and are frequently ignored in decision-making processes that directly affect them.
In The Gambia, progress is emerging. Programs such as the Department of Social Welfare’s Social Registry and the Family Strengthening Programme have begun to support vulnerable older persons. The initiatives provide essential platforms for identifying their needs and improving access to services.
A landmark development highlighted by the organization is the African Union (AU) Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons, the continent’s first legally binding instrument to protect the rights of older citizens. The Gambia recently became one of the first 15 African countries to ratify the Protocol, a historic move signaling the nation’s commitment to older persons’ rights and dignity. Ageing with a Smile urged the government to now focus on domestication integrating the Protocol into national legislation to turn its promises into tangible improvements for older Gambians.
The organization emphasized that promoting healthy ageing goes beyond longevity. Older persons should live with dignity, independence, and purpose, contributing their wisdom and experience to society. Their voices must be amplified in policies, programs, and decision-making processes.
As the country marks this day, Ageing with a Smile called on all sectors to recognize older persons as drivers of change, not burdens, and to ensure that their aspirations guide national efforts. “When older persons are heard, supported, and empowered, we build an age-friendly society that values all generations,” the statement noted.
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By: Fatou Krubally The Gambia joined the world on 1st October 2025 to mark the International Day of Older Persons,…
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