The following is an excerpt from the introduction to my forthcoming book, Refusing to Be Invisible: How Women 50+ Can Challenge Gendered Ageism:
It happens far too often as we get older—we start feeling invisible. It’s as though we’re being erased like a Polaroid image in reverse, gradually fading from view. Our contributions in the workplace are no longer recognized the way they once were. We are often overlooked for promotions or have a difficult time finding a new job. We might be excluded from casual conversations at work. Sometimes we might feel ignored at social or family gatherings. When we speak up and share our thoughts, other people might start talking over us as though we aren’t even in the room. When we go shopping, we notice that younger women are getting more attention and better service than we are.
As we continue to journey through what should be some of the best years of our lives, we notice that advertisers may depict older women as frail and pathetic. We might cringe when someone asks us if we would like a ‘senior’ discount or refer to people our age as “elderly.” Sometimes other people make assumptions about what we can or cannot do because of our age rather than our abilities. (How could older women possibly keep up with the changes in technology?) As we move into our sixties and beyond, healthcare professionals and staff may discount our concerns or use “elderspeak” (baby talk) when interacting with us. And once we are no longer holding down a job, our societal value is further diminished—we could end up feeling as though we have no voice, no value, and no visibility—if we allow this to happen. It is important that all of us recognize and learn to challenge gendered ageism.
A July 2021 article2 about gendered ageism in the medical journal, The Lancet explained that gendered ageism affects both the health and well-being of women. Further, gendered ageism “renders older women largely invisible and is embedded in contemporary culture and social and economic policies.”
The implications of living in a culture biased against older women are only half of the problem. Because we are constantly bombarded with anti-aging messages targeting women, we also tend to internalize these messages. As research suggests, internalized gendered ageism messages can increase our stress levels, lower our self-esteem, affect our health and well-being, and even shorten our lifespan.