A CRISIS OF AGE

On 1 October Older People's Day will be celebrated in Azerbaijan and the rest of the world. If retirement may be seen as old age, then in Azerbaijan women may be considered "no longer young" at 60 and men at 63. What is life like for today's pensioners?

Azerbaijan is reckoned to be a country with a young population - according to 2010 statistics, pensioners comprise 14% of the population (that is, of course, old-age pensioners). At the same time, the integration of elderly people into public life is very often poor. Whether mental aspects are to blame or not, elderly people find it difficult to "keep up" with the young. This is particularly noticeable in the sphere of employment, where the chances of a person over 50 competing for the same job are much lower than their younger counterparts.

Experience is a loose concept

Safiqa Mammadova is 55 years of age. During Soviet times she worked as a typist in an office and then looked after her children for a long time. "Now the children have grown up and become independent and it is time to think of myself," she says. But her attempts to find work as a secretary in an office were unsuccessful. She is puzzled: "I don't understand why they won't take me on, I am perfectly healthy and strong, I know about office administration and I can type quickly, but they preferred a young inexperienced girl to me."

Yes, it's deplorable, but true. A businessman, who does not wish to disclose his name, explains: "I realize that elderly people have more experience. But it's not just about experience. For example, a secretary not only has to answer the telephone or maintain records, but also fetch the tea if guests are coming; our work is also intensive and stressful and I don't like to rebuke someone who is old enough to be my parent."

Young businessman Vuqar Safarov, the founder of an animation and advertising company, said in an interview with R+ that he does not have people over 50 in his organization but he collaborates with them: "If we are shooting an advertising clip and we need a documentary film director, then, of course, it is better to take on an experienced adult, and that's what we do," he says. "But when it comes to work specifics we mainly need young people."

He said there is a stereotype that elderly people do not work as well, but this is by no means the case. "Older people, as a rule, work more diligently and conscientiously, they know their place and act more responsibly. Young people work here on a permanent basis because our work is creative, but at the same time, when I need an accountant I don't look at how old he is," Safarov says. "The main thing is that he is a good worker and his age is not important. For example, there is a stereotype that older people are not conversant with working with a computer but the top expert in the Photoshop programme in Baku was over 50."

The inspector of a state employment fund said that people over 50 often come to him. As a rule, I can rarely offer them the work they are qualified for: women are usually required to look after patients and children and do office cleaning; a man, if he has the right qualification, can work in construction; sometimes experienced drivers are needed, but because so many people can drive a car there are more people available in this sphere.

A certain number of elderly people apply to private employment companies. True, it is the man from one of the major city companies who will get the benefit because everything depends on the qualifications of the potential employee. "Young people are more flexible and learn better," she explains. "But if an older person can use a computer and knows any special programmes, or foreign languages, then it is easier for him to find a job. People are often required for accountancy, because this is work that requires a lot of experience." According to the job worker, a job is usually found for everyone who applies. Generally, this may be explained by the fact that private agencies, as well as Internet job sites, are usually approached by the "forward-minded" section of the population who are at least familiar with the basics of Internet navigation.

Older people becoming more active

In Azerbaijan elderly people usually perceive retirement with fear. The fact is that for many of them not going to work is like the end of living and the best they can hope to do is look after the grandchildren and sadly while away the days of their old age. Some start to literally hang on to their job, putting off retirement for as long as possible. But in Azerbaijan there are no longer conditions whereby people who reach pensionable age can continue to work for two or three more years.

Because of problems with employment after retirement elderly people frequently cannot even find the lightest of jobs - as an experienced part-time consultant or working at home, and so on. What can you say - it's just too boring for them. One would think that it wouldn't be a bad thing if at state level projects could be devised on the integration of elderly people into society so they do not see retirement as the end of their active lives. It wouldn't be a bad thing to organize free courses in computers and foreign languages for them or charity organizations on a voluntary basis. Incidentally, this is being done in many countries to keep older people's brains ticking over and to prevent them developing illnesses such as senile dementia or other cognitive brain deterioration.

Other countries have their own way of organizing life for the elderly. For example, in Japan, by virtue of economic, historical and cultural traditions, elderly people live together with their children who care for them. For their part elderly people remain head of the family. However, those who wish to may continue to earn extra money.

In neighbouring Turkey they revere eastern traditions whereby a woman does not have to work and look after the home and the children. And this continues into old age. It is much easier for women because a young woman receives a pension for her deceased father until she marries, and a widow gets a benefit for a deceased husband. Although the majority of men have a lot of free time, about six per cent of them still continue to work and take a pension: they work as ushers, or sell newsagents or lottery tickets.

In the United States old age means freedom. Because there is less leave there than here, Americans are not ones to do much travelling. So when they retire they finally get the chance to do everything they never had time for before. In many countries there is a tradition of pensioners clubs in which active and cheerful elderly men and women don't think it is acceptable to shut themselves away and they lead a full social life. Even in neighbouring Russia there is an abundance of such clubs in which you can sing and dance, get to know people, play games and even engage in joint creative work.

Here, unfortunately such a simple tradition has not yet caught on. So elderly people while away their time as they see fit. The men go to municipal parks and play dominoes or chess or chat with their fellow pensioners; the women look after their grandchildren and work about the house. Although, let us repeat, it wouldn't be a bad thing to set up these same clubs where elderly people can not only spend time, but also study and do work they are capable of for their own benefit and that of others.