Event

The Centre for Gender and Development Studies (CGDS) will begin their Lunchtime Seminar series on Wednesday 8^th October, 2008 at their Seminar Room. Dr. Joan Rawlins will present her seminar “Daily Living, Financial Insecurity and Health: The Case of Older Women in Trinidad and Tobago” from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m.

Abstract

This paper seeks to explore the lives of women aged 60 years and older, and to specifically explore issues of financial insecurity and any economic deprivation which such women experience. Data for this paper comes from a study conducted in Trinidad and Tobago in 2006.  A survey was conducted in North, Central, and South Trinidad, and Tobago. In total, 200 women aged 60 year or older were interviewed. The interviews were done, fifty, in each of the four sectors of the country which are mentioned above. The data gathering instrument was a 51 item questionnaire which had mainly structured questions, but also included some open-ended questions. The study found that although these women reported various sources of income, such as: old age pension, national insurance benefits, and relatives, there was a fair degree of financial insecurity experienced, with 26.5% being unable to meet their monthly financial obligations. This paper noted additionally that in the month prior to the survey 18% had put off seeing the doctor because of inadequate financial resources and that it was the group of women aged 60-74 years, the “young–old”, who seemed most at risk.