2025 in Review: A Year of Resilience and Global Impact for Older People

Despite the decline in global aid budgets, we have continued to respond to the needs of older people across many sectors and geographies and promoted and supported their inclusion and active participation wherever possible.

From championing the rights of older people to driving inclusive humanitarian action and climate leadership, HelpAge’s achievements this year reflect our ability to drive meaningful change through advocacy, partnership, and innovative programming on a global scale.

• • Friendship Bench DC: HelpAge USA’s Friendship Bench DC program held over 500 sessions, with community members in Washington, DC, visiting a trained Grandparent at one of our 15 host partner locations to talk through life’s challenges in a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space. We also published a new independent evaluation showing that people who visited Friendship Bench DC reported improved mental health, stronger social connections, and greater comfort seeking emotional support.
  • Older women at the forefront: Through ongoing advocacy, older women gained unprecedented recognition in gender equality forums like the 69^th session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) and high-level events such as the second World Summit for Social Development. A dedicated session on older women’s empowerment has now been confirmed for CSW70 in 2026.
  • A UN convention on the rights of older people: The UN Human Rights Council established an intergovernmental working group to draft a new, legally binding international convention, following decades of advocacy by older people and HelpAge network members seeking to address discrimination, neglect, and systemic ageism worldwide.
  • Age-inclusive humanitarian action: HelpAge’s Age Inclusion Specialists drove critical change in humanitarian responses by ensuring older people are included and their voices are heard in response systems. HelpAge and partners also mobilized $1 million for the Myanmar earthquake response, with significant support for older women and those over the age of 80.
  • Climate justice: HelpAge now holds a strategic voice in global climate change through securing official observer membership with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body for assessing science related to climate change. HelpAge also co-organized a side event and a photo exhibition at the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil, expanding HelpAge’s influence in climate policy.
  • Social protection programming: With funding from Irish Aid, HelpAge established the ROAR programme (“Realizing the Rights of Older People through Inclusive Social Protection Systems, Accountability, and Resilience Strengthening”) to help older people in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania receive vital assistance around rights, poverty, and discrimination. A recent survey showed that 40% of participants improved digital literacy and 35 Older People’s Associations (OPAs) received startup funding. More than 50 cases of abuse and discrimination were addressed, and awareness in communities of older people’s needs increased, reaching 88%.
  • Localization: As part of our ongoing localization process, HelpAge supported local transitions in Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Vietnam, empowering local actors so that they have the power to influence decisions and prioritize the needs of the communities they serve.
  • Advocacy and older people’s voices: In Vietnam, our partner the Vietnam Association of the Elderly was awarded a Human Act Prize for its innovative Intergenerational Self-Help Club (ISHC) model, and the government in Vietnam committed to bringing 12,000 new ISHCs in the next decade.