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HelpAge International wins $1.5 million Hilton Humanitarian Prize
Hilton Foundation
March 08, 2012

International jury selects only global NGO with singular focus on improving the lives of the world's older people.

International Women's Day: HelpAge calls for urgent action to help millions of older women who are the invisible backbone of communities, families and food production.

HelpAge International, the only global organisation with a singular focus on providing assistance to and advocating for disadvantaged older people, has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize of $1.5 million. The Prize will be presented at the Global Philanthropy Forum on April 16 in Washington, D.C.

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation presents the annual award, the world's largest humanitarian prize, to an organisation that is doing extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering. The foundation made the announcement today on International Women's Day in recognition of the invisible role of older women in maintaining the welfare of families, communities and food production across the developing world.

The Hilton Prize receives more than 200 nominations from throughout the world each year, and an independent international jury makes the final selection.

"The world is ageing. By 2015, over 890 million people will be over 60; nearly three times the total population of the United States of America. Nearly 190 million older people live in poverty with more than 100 million living on less than $1 a day," said Steven M. Hilton, CEO and president of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. "As the world prepares for this monumental demographic shift, HelpAge is showing us that it is important to recognise and support older people so they can continue to be contributing and productive members of society."

"Receiving the Hilton Prize is a great honour," added Richard Blewitt, CEO of HelpAge. "It is especially meaningful to draw the world's attention to the historic transformation being brought about by global ageing and the plight of millions of older people who face overwhelming financial, social and health hurdles every day. At HelpAge, we believe the whole world benefits when we tap the substantial wisdom and talents of older people and enable them to lead dignified, active, healthy and secure lives."

Women make up the majority of older people around the world - nearly two thirds of those over the age of 80 are women. Many older women in developing countries are not only the economic providers for families, but frequently they are the sole caregivers of AIDS orphaned grandchildren. In Kenya alone, there are 1.1 million children orphaned by HIV and AIDS, in a country where more than half of those over aged 60 already live in absolute poverty.

"Older women are responsible for much of the farming and food production in developing countries, a critical function as food insecurity grows," notes Catherine A. Bertini, Hilton Prize juror, Syracuse University professor, and former executive director of the United Nations World Food Program. "They are the key contributors to families and communities."

Blewitt added, "Increasingly the face of the small scale farmer is the face of an older woman. They have little support or the option to retire because of increasing urban migration, food insecurity and climate change".

"On International Women's Day, HelpAge want older women farmers to get the help they deserve, including: targeted agricultural subsidies, a basic form of pension for agricultural workers and increased skill sharing with children to protect future generations."

Both an advocacy and development organisation, HelpAge was instrumental in 2002 in shaping the United Nations Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, adopted by 57 countries who pledged to include ageing in all social and economic development policies. Since then, the HelpAge global network of older people and its 94 affiliated organizations in 70 countries have continued to press for improvement in government policies supporting the aged.
HelpAge believes a critical component is engagement of older people themselves in efforts to claim their rights to health care, social services and economic and physical security. It has shown that older people are their own best advocates and make valuable contributions to society as caregivers, advisors, mentors, mediators and breadwinners.

Among HelpAge's accomplishments in 2011 were:

• Two million older people were helped to claim a new or increased pension payment
• 360,000 older people and their families to were aided to get through life-shattering emergencies, such as the East African famine and Haiti earthquake.
• 48,000 older people received basic health care
• 50,000 older people were supported to fight abuse and discrimination cases with the help of 300 specially-trained older people's groups
• 5,000 older people received voluntary HIV counseling and testing

Viewed as the world's leading authority on global ageing, HelpAge is actively engaging with the United Nations, European Union, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, bilateral donor governments, the World Economic Forum and other influential organisations to ensure there is a strong understanding of the critical need to support the human rights of older people.

2012 is being recognized as the Year of Global Ageing triggered by the 10th anniversary of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing when world leaders will again convene to review what has been accomplished in a decade of progress to extend rights for older people. HelpAge is collaborating with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on The World's Older Persons Report to launch on October 1st that will assess the progress made since 2002. In Europe, 2012 is also being celebrated as the Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations across EU countries.

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